New Driller Stadium architects

[RecycleMichael]

I thought that the ballpark needed a new thread because the other was months old and there had been a lot of new stuff announced recently.

Here is the Tulsa World story with more of the financing details and a link to the slide show of renderings provided by HOK architects.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080627_11_hr05082

Here is the HOK website of the arenas they have had a part in creating...

http://www.hoksport.com/arenas/

Here is their list of stadiums they are part of...

http://www.hoksport.com/stadiums/

This is going to be the most famous baseball stadium in the world...the new Yankee Stadium...

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/future/YankeeStadiumII.htm

These guys are the best in the business. I always thought it was cool that we hired Pelli to do the arena. These guys look like they are in his rare class in this type of work.

[booWorld]

Interesting work, and did anyone else notice the skyline view from the Minnesota Twins new ballpark?

[TheTed]

Here are the minor league baseball stadiums they've done.
http://www.hoksport.com/projects/portfolio_milb_all.html

Some of the more impressive ones:
Auto Zone Park in Memphis


Isotopes Park in Albuquerque



Dow Diamond in Michigan

[cdowni]

i hope whatever they do will be modern and fresh. what we don't need is a new ball park that is trying to look old. if we are going to build a new ball park it needs look new.

[Gaspar]

Always bothers me when a city like Tulsa goes outside of it's gates to pay for design services, when there are hundreds of experienced and capable Tulsa architects banging at the door.  

So, instead, we just become another HOK project on the wall up in Kansas City, rather than creating something unique and having the pride to say "This was designed by an Oklahoma Architect."  

I think Kansas City will be very proud of this design!  It's nice.

Oh well, too bad. []

[sgrizzle]

I'm all for supporting local businesses but I also think on a project this $ize we should look to someone with expertise in this area.

Keep in mind that Pelli was the "chosen architect" for the BOK Center but he was largely just the concept guy and a local firm has been handling a large amount of the work.

[cannon_fodder]

Over the weekend I read several articles on the new ballpark.  It is well publicized that the park will be about 50% private donations.  They never even postulate who or why that $30,000,000.00 in private money is coming from.

I don't want to start complaining about it, I'm a big fan.  But if they were with no strings attached wouldn't they generally be yelling it form the rooftops and basking in their altruism?  at very least, don't you think the paper/news would ASK who the/these donors are?

I know I'm curious.

ALSO, what of the old stadium?

(again, I think I'm a fan of the plan, but these issues should be addressed)

[just_like_new]

quote:Originally posted by cdowni

i hope whatever they do will be modern and fresh. what we don't need is a new ball park that is trying to look old. if we are going to build a new ball park it needs look new.

While I am really happy with the new arena, I still think it is a shame that it doesn't integrate more of Tulsa's historical architectural elements.  Wouldn't it be great if the new stadium included a few hints of art deco?  Greenwood is full of so much history.  I think another modern building like the arena would look jarring.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


ALSO, what of the old stadium?

It's an erector set, fold it up and install it somewhere else. Give it to Jenks as a consolation prize.

[chlfan]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


ALSO, what of the old stadium?

It's an erector set, fold it up and install it somewhere else. Give it to Jenks as a consolation prize.

ouch!!And, maybe the County will try to land some HS tournaments, playoffs? I wish TU would field a baseball team again.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder


ALSO, what of the old stadium?

It's an erector set, fold it up and install it somewhere else. Give it to Jenks as a consolation prize.

You meanie...+10

[SXSW]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Over the weekend I read several articles on the new ballpark.  It is well publicized that the park will be about 50% private donations.  They never even postulate who or why that $30,000,000.00 in private money is coming from.

I don't want to start complaining about it, I'm a big fan.  But if they were with no strings attached wouldn't they generally be yelling it form the rooftops and basking in their altruism?  at very least, don't you think the paper/news would ASK who the/these donors are?

I know I'm curious.

ALSO, what of the old stadium?

(again, I think I'm a fan of the plan, but these issues should be addressed)

Someone told me SemGroup will be a major donor, and that it would likely be called SemGroup Ballpark.  Not sure how true that is though.  QuikTrip, Williams, and ONEOK come to mind as other local companies that could be donors.

[sgrizzle]

Oneok Field at SemGroup park with the Williams Premium Level and the Kaiser Family Funzone.


It's like Nascar!





(I'm kidding)

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

I'm all for supporting local businesses but I also think on a project this $ize we should look to someone with expertise in this area.

Keep in mind that Pelli was the "chosen architect" for the BOK Center but he was largely just the concept guy and a local firm has been handling a large amount of the work.

That's not that big of a project.  Too large for the company I work for, but not too large for Sparks or any of the other big A/E firms in Tulsa.  

Additionally if several firms work as a team (frequently done on large projects) It would be fantastic.

A stadium is a known formula.  You know the programming, traffic flow, the estimated capacity and how all of the systems work.  Stadiums and ball parks are also a very profitable endeavor for architects (that specialize in such structures) because the skeleton stays the same, all you have to do is scale it and throw a pretty face on it.

This is not a unique structure like BOK.  Not even in the same ball park (no pun intended).  This is more or less a glorified High-school Baseball Park.  Far to small to ever attract more than a farm team, and far to expensive for a farm team.  I don't really understand the 60 million dollar price tag.  That means HOK's fee is about $4.5 million.  Would just rather see that money go to a local firm and have the pride in an Oklahoma ball park with some classic Tulsa architecture.

Don't get me wrong.  HOK is a fantastic firm with a fine pedigree, and this is a great little project for them.

I will support it.  I think it's great for the Drillers and for Tulsa, I just think it could have been much more, cost much less, and for posterity had more significance than just another HOK stamp.

[booWorld]

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar


...Additionally if several firms work as a team (frequently done on large projects) It would be fantastic.

A stadium is a known formula.  You know the programming, traffic flow, the estimated capacity and how all of the systems work...

A few years ago, the OU Urban Design Studio did a very interesting study for a downtown ballpark project.

I'd like to see some of their ideas incorporated into the design.  There are many talented designers right here in Tulsa.