Soldier Field wins prestigious award

CHICAGO - The Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects presented an award for design excellence to the new Soldier Field Friday night in the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier.

"Especially with all the controversy surrounding the design, it's kind of an affirmation of the excellence in design for the building," said Bears Chairman of the Board Michael McCaskey, who attended the event with team president and CEO Ted Phillips.

Michael McCaskey (center) and Ted Phillips (third from right) accept an award presented to Soldier Field for design excellence.

"We already know that the fans love it and that's one of my chief joys about the building-that the fans, wherever their seats are in the stadium, seem to just love it."

The new Soldier Field was christened on Sept. 29, 2003 when the Bears hosted the Green Bay Packers. It features two 82-foot-by-23-foot video scoreboards, a three-level Cadillac Club lounge, a Bears Ring of Honor throughout the mezzanine level, a Bears Den gallery depicting historical events from Soldier Field's past and a bas relief of George Halas.

The stadium was selected as Midwest Construction magazine's overall Project of the Year in 2003. "There's not a bad seat in the house," the judges said in the December 2003 issue of Midwest Construction. "What they have done in 20 months is amazing."

The historic colonnades and South Wall remained untouched as the new stadium was built within the existing exterior of Soldier Field.

The New York Times also honored the new Soldier Field, choosing the stadium as the fourth best architecture project of 2003.

"Our construction team did a remarkable job to make the Lakefront Redevelopment Project a success," Phillips said. "The result is a state-of-the-art stadium, and added parking and parkland along Chicago's historical Museum Campus for residents and visitors to enjoy."