GANTRY FIELD
COLLABORATORS: ANDREW SAUNDERS
Using the proposed site of Oakland, paired with the research on the state of baseball and sports arena architecture and technology, this proposal aims to break the boundaries between what the stadium is, as a large, urban object, and how it exists within the its context. In addition this proposal also looks to break the boundaries of conventional stadium organization, steering away from the classic large bleacher approach to seating in favor of a tiered system that focuses on creating "neighborhoods" or varying "experience zones" that cater to a wider variety of fan, spectator or visitor.
“Imagine a ballpark that felt more intimate than massive.”
In order to understand where an intervention would be most effective for the growing urban fabric of Oakland, a close analysis of the growth patterns of the city are key to igniting and not stagnating the prosper of this California metropolis. Clearly, there has been a large focus on growing and transforming the old shipyards, a once prospering area that homed many industries but now has become a graveyard for industry past. Therefore, like many other cities have executed, this area seems to be the place of most focus for growth of cultural and public areas.
The area that is being considered now is on the Peralta College campus, however the site I have chosen is directly across the highway that was only implemented in the past half century. The reason for this is to not disrupt the plethora of college activity in that area, while also connecting to that area to add another dimension to university life in Oakland. Furthermore, the river that runs to the reservoir and natural reserve in the North, marks a split between the new up and coming area in Jack London Square and the neighborhoods that reside to the East. An intervention of this size could completely change the outlook of this area, and even stitch together farther nodes of this area into a cultural hub.
Through both formal exercise and research of the area, a network of skywalks and elevated parkways were incorporated in the stadium design. The skywalks and interstitial network of the stadium connects a wide array of local areas and amenities. First, the neighboring college is not inhibited by the stadium, but rather reaps the reward of direct access, giving the schools allure in the long run. Furthermore, positioned against the river into the interior lake park, the system of walkways gives people from the West more accessibility to the green life of the public park along the river. In addition, with the intervention of the stadium, to the South there is yet another park and more access to the waterfront. On the opposite side, the stadium connects both transit and local business, allowing access from both the BART and Amtrak stations into the stadium and past, as well as key points for people to ascend to the stadiums from streets dense with local business such as restaurants, bars and shops. Finally, these specific nodes also accommodate local parking, allowing for the colleges to gain profit from the parking space, as well as gives access to areas for potential parking growth, invigorating the local economy and the surrounding real estate.
The intervention of this stadium aims to celebrate the city's culture and invigorate the area it exists in. Nestled between several different facets of downtown Oakland, this plot aims to be a hub rather than an isolated stadium. The infrastructure aesthetic harkens back to the Oakland shipyard cranes, iconic metal monuments to the industrial history of the area, but also allows for transparency between the stadium and its surroundings. Furthermore, the stadium is sunken much like the old Coliseum, but also the height of the stadium does not impede any on the height of the buildings that surrounding it. The only element that obscures the zoning height between the other buildings surrounding the ballpark to the West is the clear, PV canopy.
The ballpark is master planned into three office/mixed use buildings, one recreation center, a little league baseball complex, a new marina park, a maintained basketball gym as well as the introduction of various transit nodes around the surrounding area that connect areas of the city via parkway and skywalk. These city objects exist within the boundaries of a normal ballpark, therefore the park becomes part of the city, even on non-gamedays. Furthermore, the existing block division is taken into account and is reflected in the organization of the of the ballpark and its contingent elements, therefore aiming to encourage the current flow of the area, not stagnate it.
The interior of the stadium aims to rethink the seating plan by breaking it down further from what we are used to it, in addition to diversifying experiences to choose from. The idea of the bleacher seat is only maintained in right field, but has been reduced drastically in to leave way for more recreational areas of viewing that tote lower prices but have less of cap for inhabitance. Rather, the outfield becomes a space that invites families, groups and others, at all times of the year, to convene and enjoy either a game or simply the view of it. Those special days in the park where the public can access the field becomes an every day affair, where catch can be played while watching the big leaguers do their thing. This is marked by a tailgate area, a picnic/park area with cabanas, a beer and food garden for all kinds of vendors, bar terraces from the office towers, as well the patented are of the island, "The Swamp," where the old days of the Raiders fans being right at the edge of the end zone is remanifested in the depths of the farthest part of the outfield.
In terms of the seating around the immediate play area, a disintegration of large bleacher seating is represented as you rise upward in the stadium. This tactic leaves the premium seats, the best seats for viewing a game in a classic manner, at the field level, while aiming to create more informal space as well as more intimate seating arrangements for those who usually sit higher up and feel more detached from the game. This clustering makes seats that usually feel a little bit less luxurious feel that much more special, where a cluster becomes a neighborhood of fans, marked by the vendors and public areas that exist around it.
Finally, the premium boxes now reside at all levels, including becoming part of pedestrian traffic. At first, there is a premium area behind home plate, but now another premium seat reside just below the field, under the distance between the mound and home plate. While untraditional, this area allows for a novel view of the game, one that will become a truly unique experience in the myriad of ways in which the game will be experienced in the future. In addition to these ground level areas, there is a row of elevated luxury boxes and and a press box, and just above that, the skywalk that connects the major office buildings becomes yet another informal way to view the game from above. Here, mass amounts of entry passes can be sold to view the game almost like you would a ticket to the Empire State Building, granting the flexibility of movement, and the novelty of various seating and viewing locations. One ticket becomes a hundred different seats.
