Wintrust Arena sports giant Chicago flag on its roof

Possibly the largest rooftop image of the Chicago flag — measuring 196 feet by 236 feet — found a home on Wintrust Arena’s roof.

Fabrication of the flag image took four weeks. It then took an additional three weeks to be installed. The project was completed in late November with a roof treatment that is expected to last more than 15 years despite Chicago’s harsh winters and warm summers.

The installation of the flag image was completed in late November.

Each of the four six-pointed red stars on the Chicago flag is 50 feet in diameter. To put that in perspective, each star is about half the size of the basketball court, which is where DePaul University’s basketball teams play, directly under the roof.

DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban said the flag image symbolizes the Blue Demons’ return to Chicago. The men’s and women’s basketball teams previously played at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

“What better image than the Chicago flag to show that DePaul basketball is proud to be back in its hometown,” Esteban said. “We are honored to display the Chicago flag image and Wintrust logo on the roof of our new home in Chicago’s vibrant South Loop neighborhood.”

DePaul’s basketball teams are playing their inaugural season at Wintrust Arena, which opened in fall of 2017.

The multipurpose venue has already hosted a range of events, including the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony and concerts by Chance the Rapper, Mavis Staples and Common among others.