This is Soldier Field. Home of the Chicago Bears. One of the most controversial architectural decisions in Chicago history.
The original stadium opened in 1924 — designed by Holabird and Roche to look like an ancient Roman colosseum.
Then, in 2002, Chicago did something that made architects weep.
They gutted the interior and built a modern stadium inside the old shell. Critics said it looked like "a spaceship landed on the Parthenon." Others called it "Mistake by the Lake."
The National Park Service agreed. In 2006, they stripped Soldier Field of its National Historic Landmark status. It's the only building to EVER lose that designation due to renovation.
— From the tour: Landfill of Dreams
