HIGHLIGHTS
- 475,000-Square-Foot Soccer-Specific Stadium With 22,000 Seats
- 2,000-Person Dedicated Supporter Section
- A New Water Taxi Stop for Gamedays and the Workday
Challenge
The popularity of soccer in the United States is being fueled by a mix of international star power, youth development, and a rising cultural acceptance of the sport. Club owners are taking note, investing in new, soccer-specific stadiums that boast better fan experiences and stronger local identities, along with state-of-the-art training facilities to promote player development. To ensure long-term success, these 365-day, multipurpose venues are embedded within vibrant, mixed-use districts.
Solution
Gensler is partnering with McDonald’s Park to design a 22,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium. Inspired by Chicago’s brick-and-steel industrial heritage, the stadium brings fans closer to the action with an intimate seating bowl, exposed steel canopy, and a purpose-built supporter section. Premium clubs, suites, and flexible amenities enhance the game-time experience. Adjacent plazas and riverfront public spaces within The 78 extend the stadium’s role as a sports and entertainment hub.
Impact
McDonald’s Park supports soccer, concerts, festivals, and community events. The flexible, future-ready design activates the area beyond match days. Building upon the city’s reputation as a high-energy sports destination, the stadium is set to become a powerful catalyst for urban renewal and civic pride.
Areas of Expertise
Recognition
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The Registry highlighted new Gensler Research Institute findings showing that the future of sports venues depends as much on the surrounding district as the stadium itself. The research based on nearly 6,000 North American residents underscores how sports districts are reshaping the fan experience.
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NBC Chicago featured the groundbreaking of McDonald’s Park’s new $750 million stadium, designed by Gensler. Anchoring The 78, a new mixed-use development also designed by Gensler, it’s “one of the most ambitious stadium projects” in history, says Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber.
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Crain’s Chicago Business ranked Gensler as the largest architecture firm in Chicago in 2025, noting the firm’s relationship with local clients, including Related Midwest, McDonald’s Park, the city of Chicago, and the University of Illinois.
Related Work
The 78
Chicago, Illinois
The 78 is a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood that blends retail, offices, and housing with the Chicago Fire FC Stadium serving as a dynamic sports & entertainment venue and a community hub that activates the surrounding public spaces.
Petco Park, Western Metal Supply Co. Building
San Diego, California
Strategic upgrades to retail, hospitality, and rooftop spaces deepen fan engagement while honoring the historic character that defines Petco Park.
University of Maryland, Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center
College Park, Maryland
The new Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center provides both programs with dedicated, equitable training environments tailored to athlete development an
Mosaic
San Francisco, California
Mosaic transforms the retail podium into a lively, engaging amenity, reinforcing the relevance of San Francisco’s historic Embarcadero Center for today’s workplace.
Cherry Creek West
Denver, Colorado
Cherry Creek West is a pedestrian-first, mixed-use development that gives one of Denver’s great neighborhoods something it’s never had — a front yard. With ground-floor retail and a lively public realm, the project blends office and residential into a vibrant urban ecosystem.
BMO Stadium
Los Angeles, California
Gensler designed the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium in L.A.’s Exposition Park, anchoring the Figueroa corridor and capitalizing on great views of the downtown skyline.
M&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore, Maryland
Gensler is partnering with the Baltimore Ravens to design a series of projects that will enhance the gameday and year-round fan experience at M&T Stadium.
Al-Ahly Stadium
Cairo, Egypt
Gensler has developed a concept design for a world-class, ground-up stadium for the Al-Ahly football club that redefines the fan experience, drives economic growth, and sets a new benchmark in sports architecture globally.
Lenovo Center
Raleigh, North Carolina
Gensler is leading a dramatic transformation of the Lenovo Center (formerly PNC Arena), elevating it to a premier destination for sports and entertainment.
Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center
Fayetteville, Georgia
A new headquarters for the United States Soccer Federation unites elite training and hospitality within a timeless campus designed to elevate the game for generations.
1010 S Wells Street
Chicago, Illinois
1010 South Wells, a new, 22-story residential tower in Chicago’s South Loop, combines nature-infused, riverfront experiences with the perks of urban living.
Neveseno Apartments
Chicago, Illinois
CMK Companies engaged Gensler to design Neveseno Apartments, a residential building in Chicago’s vibrant South Loop neighborhood.
Further Reading
Blog
You Had to Be There: What the World Cup Taught Us About How Fandom Shapes Cities
Gensler’s fan urbanism research reveals what six months of World Cup data tells us about design, belonging, and the future of sports districts.
Press Release
Gensler’s Latest Research With ROAR and Oxford Economics Finds Public Space Around Stadiums Is Where Crowds Become Communities
A three-part study of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finds fans used collective language 70% more often when posting from the plazas and streets outside stadiums, underscoring the opportunity design has to foster collective effervescence.
Research
The Fandom Effect: Sports Urbanism 2026
The Fandom Effect explores how fandom shapes connection, community, and engagement, offering insights for designing fan-centered experiences and places.
Blog
The Rise of the Nighttime Sports Economy
Sports are moving later, creating new opportunities for stadiums and surrounding districts to extend the fan experience, activate public space, and capture value after dark.
Blog
Three WNBA Facilities Later: Innovating the Performance Environment for Women
Designers of three WNBA training facilities share their thoughts on building great performance environments.
Blog
Can One Month Change a City Forever? What Mega-Events Like the World Cup Can Teach Us
What the World Cup revealed about the synergy between cities and sports.
Blog
More Than a Venue: Designing Sports Assets for 365-Day Value
Sports venues have always been powerful engines of energy, identity, and civic pride. What is changing is the scale of value surrounding the organizations they serve.
Blog
Sports Urbanism and the Return of Civic Joy
The World Cup momentum could be the solution to the “fun deficit,” in which designers and innovators reimagine spaces to create joy for visitors and players.
Blog
The Hardest Part of Game Day Is Getting Home: How Relay Nodes Extend the Fan Experience
How Transit Relay Nodes can ease the stadium exit crush and extend the fan experience into the surrounding city.
Blog
What Happens After the Final Whistle? Designing World Cup Venues That Last
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is rewriting the playbook for mega-event infrastructure — prioritizing long-term community value over short-term spectacle.
Blog
Building City Brands That Outlive the Event
Lessons from Seattle’s Unity Loop on building brand systems that extend beyond the event.
Blog
How a New Generation of Sports Districts Is Rewriting the Rules of Suburban Development
The first generation of suburban sports districts proved they could attract people beyond game day. The next must sustain year-round economic and civic life.
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