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In defense of Oakland's "charmless" Brutalist baseball stadium

2019-10-03T07:00:00-04:00

When the Oakland Coliseum opened in 1966, it was hailed as a Brutalist gem that could house two sports in an elegantly simple, circular design. A half-century later, it is perhaps America’s most hated sports stadium. Players and coaches deride it. The Oakland Raiders are fleeing it. [...] Even these pages have called it “a bland, charmless concrete monstrosity” that “isn’t worthy of preservation.”

Writing in The New York Times, Jack Nicas embarks on a spirited defense of the Oakland Coliseum, warts and all.

Nicas writes, "Yes, the Coliseum is ugly, but it is cheap, gritty and fun. The spacious confines allow fans to roam around, spread out and enjoy a comprehensive view of the game. And the park’s dinginess fosters a freewheeling atmosphere, where bleacher die-hards bang drums and heckle outfielders, while upper-deck denizens pack picnics and pass joints," adding, "It all adds up to a baseball experience that stands out in the increasingly homogeneous ballpark landscape."

View of the proposed Oakland As stadium. Image: Bjarke Ingels Group

The 53-year old stadium is due to be replaced by a new facility designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, Gensler, and James Corner Field Operations on a different site. The existing stadium, under the plan, will be scraped to create a sunken amphitheater that would serve as the heart of a new housing and park complex planned for the site.

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Oakland Athletics present BIG's circular redesign of proposed Howard Terminal Ballpark

2019-02-27T13:50:00-05:00

The Oakland Athletics have released updated renderings of the proposed ballpark at Howard Terminal. The team said it tweaked the design of the original boxy structure to provide better views of the bay and Oakland and after getting feedback from fans and public officials.

When plans for the Bjarke Ingels-designed new 34,000-seat baseball stadium at Howard Terminal (complete with gondola and publicly accessible rooftop park, among other features) were unveiled to much fanfare last November by the Oakland Athletics, the public reception was mixed.

This week, renderings of a revised design were released that seek to incorporate some of the feedback—most notably, a more circular stadium shape.

Image: Bjarke Ingels Group

Oakland A's President, Dave Kaval, describes the merits of the redesign in a statement released this week:

[...] Back in November, we were thrilled and humbled by the initial positive response to our preliminary concepts for the ballpark design. Fans and community members alike expressed excitement about the design. Since then, we've continued to meet with public officials, fans, and community members to gather more input and refine our designs.

Image: Bjarke Ingels Group

One key update to our design: a more circular shape. This geometry ...

Oakland A's release plans by BIG for new ballpark at Howard Terminal

2018-11-28T19:56:00-05:00

The Oakland Athletics have unveiled plans for their new highly-anticipated stadium. Leaving their longtime home at the current Coliseum, which will be transformed into a tech and housing hub, the A's will be moving to a mega-ballpark designed by Bjarke Ingels that will be located at the Howard Terminal waterfront.

Renderings for the new ballpark, described by A's president Dave Kaval as "nothing you have ever seen," show a futuristic facility with nods to the jewel box design popularized by Philadelphia's Shibe Park at the turn-of-the century. Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Staidum, also happens to be the team's old home from when they were the Philadelphia Athletics.

Image courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group

The ambitious stadium will seat 34,000 and feature a publicly accessible rooftop park with views of the waterfront. Surrounding the ballpark, a series of wedge-shaped high-rises will further bring cafes, shops, co-working spaces and apartments to the area. Important to Kava...