Local architecture studio Edward Peck Design has proposed adding a  translucent canopy to the Chicago Bears' stadium to convince the NFL team to stay in the city.

Edward Peck Design designed the concept stadium to meet the desires of the team for a next-generation stadium, with a roof, expanded seating and an entertainment complex.

The studio created the concept to demonstrate how the team could redevelop its current site and stay in the city.

Following pushback from conservationists contributed to the Chicago Bears abandoning plans to build a Manica Architecture-designed stadium slightly south of the current one, the team has seriously considered sites in the neighbouring state of Indiana.

"The Bears should stay"

"We're not looking to be the architect of the next Bears stadium, but everyone that you talk to in Chicago says the Bears should stay," studio founder Edward Peck told Dezeen. "They need to stay. This is the heart of Chicago."

"The ownership has expressed a number of reasons for leaving Soldier Field," said Peck. "I have an anonymous client who is a lifetime Bears fan who said, 'I don't believe them.'"

Peck, who is an expert in ETFE installation and has worked for architecture and engineering studios such as Helmut Jahn and Thornton Tomasetti, set out to show the feasibility of expanding the current Soldier Field complex.

This includes suspending a massive ETFE canopy over the field to enclose it, building on top of the modern 2002 addition to the 1920s stadium.

Around the complex, Peck and his team proposed a deck that would elevate an entertainment complex over the adjacent railyards and Lake Shore Drive.

Decking over Lake Shore Drive

The deck aligns with a plan put forward by developer Bob Dunn, and echoes the Chicago Park District's suggestion of capping the lake-side highway elsewhere along the park complex that lines Chicago's riverfront.

"The idea of decking over Lake Shore Drive and the rail lines is not new," said Peck. "Millennium Park is a direct result of that."

"It has become part of Chicago's architectural heritage, and we should continue to push bold ideas that create a dynamic and greener city," he continued.

On top of the decking would be a series of 50 to 65-storey skyscrapers with entertainment programmes on the lower floors. According to Peck, the skyscrapers would generate revenue for the city, while the ground floors could generate the team's desired revenue.

The district would also serve the adjacent museum district and convention centre, as well as the mass of residential buildings and office structures in the southern part of Downtown Chicago.

"You have this entertainment district that needs to generate revenue the other 357 days of the year when it's not game day. To do that you need a critical mass of people," said Peck.

"Now they are considering the stadium in Arlington Heights, which is 30 miles north of the city, and in Indiana, over 30 miles southeast of the city. They do not have the year-round populations to support that kind of development."

"I'm fearful of what this would do to this city"

Peck's team has pointed to both the Shed complex in Hudson Yards in New York and Miami's stadium renovation as precedents for this type of project.

Surrounding the stadium itself would be a plaza as well as additional restaurants and amenities, all covered by a "green carpet" that would reduce the amount of exposed concrete and blend the expanded complex into the park.

Peck also imagines a high-speed water taxi mooring to service the stadium.

He conceded that the deck and skyscraper portion could exceed a billion dollars in investment, but that the reuse of the stadium could allow for that portion to be built with as much as a 60 per cent reduction from a ground-up build.

"The goal is to open this dialogue and challenge the Bears … to exhaust all the options," said Peck on his ambition for the proposal. He added that the dialogue should include the City, State, Parks District, and team ownership.

"This was a proof of concept addressing the reasons for leaving. We've solved for the architectural and urban challenges."

On top of that, Peck said that moving the Chicago Bears from Soldier Field would throw into question the financial future of the historic stadium.

"The fact is, if you have an enclosed stadium a quarter mile away, or even if it's in northwest Indiana, it's going to be taking the winter concerts, take away that revenue," he said.

"I'm fearful of what this would do to this city."

Multiple Indiana municipalities have already put in bids for the stadium, and Bear's ownership and NFL officials are expected to make decisions about the team's future soon.

Other recent moves in the NFL include the Oakland Raiders moving to a purpose-built stadium in Las Vegas.

The images and video are by Edward Peck Design.

A previous version of this article included a quote that incorrectly referenced Aurora as a site for a new stadium, which has been corrected to Arlington Heights.