Stadium Central

The final destination on our trip to Cleveland and Pittsburgh turned out to be one of the more memorable stadiums to which I have been. To this point, I had considered AT&T Park in San Francisco to be the finest baseball stadium in the land. The visit to PNC Park may have changed that ranking.

We checked in to a hotel in downtown Pittsburgh and started the trek over the Roberto Clemente bridge for this afternoon game between the Pirates and the Houston Astros. To start, the view of the stadium from across the river is beautiful. The view of the open bowl of seats, the large letters advertising PNC park, the glistening water, and Heinz Field off to the side. Walking across the bridge that is closed off to cars on gamedays is a beautiful approach to the field. Situated right on the river and separated from the water by a riverwalk, the ability to pull a boat up to the game is a great feature. All in all, the setting is fabulous. More on the setting a bit later.

The outside of the stadium is clad in a tan stone, an interesting departure from the brick facades that became prevalent in "retro" parks. Statues of Pittsburgh greats welcome visitors. Despite being situated amid parking lots and away from dense development, a stroll around the stadium does give a slight feel of an urban ballpark a la Wrigley Field or Fenway Park (obviously, I am exaggerating a bit, but the point is made that the stadium does have a neighborhood feel to it).

Upon entering the stadium, one notices the small dimensions. This stadium is one of the smaller in the Majors, and it makes for a cozy atmosphere. The stadium consists of only two decks, making just about any seat in the place a good one. We walked around the promenade. As with most modern stadiums, many distractions abound. One of the nicer parts of this stadium was the food selections. I ended up having one of the famous Primanti Sandwiches. The fries on the sandwich didn't particularly appeal to me, but it was a Pittsburgh tradition that needed to be tested. Many other tasty options were available.

After walking around, we circled up the ramp behind home plate to the upper deck. The steel work was appropriate for the Steel City. We made our way to our seats in the upper deck, and the fine setting once again made its presence known with the stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline and the numerous bridges across the Allegheny river. The architecture of the stadium blends seamlessly into the architecture of the bridges. Considering the marginal baseball product on the field, the view kept me entranced for most of the game.

PNC Park had tops on my list in terms of baseball stadiums that I was hoping to visit. My trip certainly did not disappoint. It is a beautiful park with a beautiful setting with tasty food options with great sight lines and with convenient access. While it is difficult to rate ballparks, I am putting PNC Park slightly ahead of AT&T park because of its integration into the city and its accessibility to the downtown area.

The on again, off again saga of the San Francisco 49ers new stadium continues, as a design was released of the new stadium to be located in Santa Clara. One minor detail, however, is the fact that the city of Santa Clara has yet to approve the project, sending it to voters in 2010. Despite that fact, the architects have drawn up an interesting project.

The proposed stadium would seat 68,500, with approximately 170 luxury suites and 8000 club seats. The club seats and luxury suites would all be situated on the West Sideline, with the East side holding conventional "coach" class seats, a la Phillips Arena in Atlanta. This unique design for a football stadium abandons the typical configuration of suites surrounding the field of play. The stadium attempts to be extremely green, with a green roof and photovoltaic panels atop the tower housing the luxury suites, the use of recycled construction materials, and a location that will promote the use of mass transit to go to and from games. It is interesting to see the detailed plans that have been supplied prior to the vote, but it probably makes sense to show the voters something tangible to get them excited for the vote in 2010. Plans for new 49ers stadium in Santa Clara (from San Jose Mercury News, http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12838457?nclick_check=1)

The next stadium stop on my journey through Cleveland and Pittsburgh was Heinz Field. As an afficionado of college football stadiums, I was particularly interested in how this stadium shaped up as a college football venue. It certainly benefited from a beautiful setting along the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, the stadium of yellow seats opening to the water. While I did not make it into the stadium, the views of downtown Pittsburgh from inside the stadium must be majestic. As a venue for a pro game, it is excellent. There does not appear to be a significant amount of parking around the stadium for tailgating, but the area must certainly be hopping before games. As a home to the Pittsburgh Panthers, the venue provides that same beautiful setting, and the parking lots likely provide excellent tailgating spots for the lower crowds that go to the Pitt games. Add to that the ability to boat up for a tailgate on water, and this venue is a unique one.

Despite being a combo pro and college stadium, I will still try to give some ratings. While the setting is beautiful, I had to knock it down a couple of points because it is not on a campus.

Heinz Field, University of Pittsburgh
Visual Appeal: 8
Fan Friendly: 8
Settings and Surroundings: 7
Quirks: 5
Blend of Classic and Modern: 6
Total: 34

My last post suggested that the University of Phoenix Stadium was groundbreaking in stadium architecture in that it was one of the first to cover up the back of the seating area, hiding the concrete and other structural support with a metal facade. A recent trip to Chicago, however, made me wonder whether the new Soldier Field pioneered this approach. As can be seen from the image below obtained at (http://academics.triton.edu/faculty/fheitzman/soldier%20field%202.jpg), the back side of the seating bowl is covered by architectural "sheathing" that forms a continuous metal facade around the stadium. In part, this feature lends a spaceship-type feel to the stadium that contrasts with the classic stone work of the original Soldier Field. Love it or hate it, one must certainly admit that the new Soldier Field certainly brought a new look to stadium design.