Soldier Field Wayfinding

We're halfway through the NFL season, so the focus this week will be the home of Da Bears: Soldier Field, in Chicago, Illinois. Catt Lyon Design was responsible for the wayfinding program in place at the "New Soldier Field," which opened in 2003. The stadium's original design invokes ancient Greek architecture, but since its renovation the structure is a hybrid of Doric colonnades and the glass/stainless steel facades that are typical of recently designed sports venues.

Catt Lyon's designs subtly enhance and unify these disparate elements of the stadium. The color scheme blends well with all architecture, while the perforation in many of the directional signs give it a contemporary feel. Gentle curves are prevalent in several forms throughout the sign system, from bowing the aluminum panel itself to curving the supporting brackets.

All images courtesy of Catt Lyon Design, Inc.

Marketplace Cafe graphics

Check out the colorful graphics fabricated by GSI (design credit is not listed) for Marshall Fields Marketplace Café. The rich reds and yellows are reflected in the graphics’ palette, which complement the mahogany nicely. Remember those early typography lessons that stressed the importance of hierarchy in graphic design? In the impact logo (picture #4447 in the upper left corner), this is achieved not only through size but through depth of the letters—“marketplace” quite literally pops out from the wall.

My favorite element is the design of the doors; specifically the café’s hours of operation (shown below). Weeding out the copy from such vivid colors is a welcome twist on the dry standard presentation that so many stores prefer.

Images Courtesy of GSI, Inc.