Populous unveils design for new retractable roof ballpark

Populous today unveiled the design of the new Florida Marlins ballpark, set to open in 2012 in the Little Havana neighborhood adjacent to downtown Miami. The ballpark is intended to be the anchor for infill and redevelopment on the site.

"The bold vision of Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami and the Marlins is portrayed through the architecture as a modern, kinetic sculpture of faceted metal and glass," said Earl Santee, AIA, Populous principal in charge of the project.

The ballpark's urban plan proposes a fundamental change in the character of the former Orange Bowl precinct, recreating the neighborhood street network and reconnecting Little Havana to Northwest 7th Street and Northwest 17th Avenue. Within this framework of public streets, the ballpark, future development and parking garages are presented as urban buildings on city blocks, creating an urban center.

The building itself is conceived as an abstraction of water merging with land, symbolic of Miami’s coastal landscape. The base of the ballpark will create a backdrop for urban life with arcades and colorful mosaics reflecting the diverse culture of Miami. The arcades are capped by large, sweeping balconies, allowing a continual pedestrian/spectator experience to the street life surrounding the ballpark. The east and west facades provide transparency to action both inside and outside of the ballpark, visually connecting and reducing the mass. The roof will become the kinetic element of the sculpture, moving as three separate panels to provide shade and weather protection for all spectators. The roof movements will be reflected in the use of color as a dynamic addition to the architecture. Interior features will include atrium spaces filled with color and art, a half-acre operable window to downtown Miami and beautiful colors bathing the concourses.

"We really wanted to create the most incredible baseball experience, where beauty and baseball collide," said Santee. "It's a civic sculpture with a strong connection to one place, one neighborhood, one city and one state."

PROJECT FACTS:

• 37,000 seats
• 42 suites
• 8 party suites
• 928,000 square feet
• Western plaza for year-round use
• Taste of Miami food area
• Half-acre retractable window wall
• 4 street-level retail shops

RETRACTABLE ROOF FACTS:

• 3 panels elevated over the playing field and ballpark canopy
• 560 foot span track to track
• 338,000 square feet of roof surface area (7.76 acres)
• 13 minute operation speed for fully closed to fully open position
• Roof panels can be operated independently to create micro-shading effects
• 5th retractable roof ballpark in the U.S.

 

For further information please contact
Gina Leo Stingley at Populous (Kansas City)
Telephone: +1 816 221 1500
Facsimile: +1 816 221 1578
 
Email media@populous.com

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