What do you think of the new ballpark design?

[RecycleMichael]

I thought this deserved a thread of its own.

I have only seen the pictures that were shown on TV and in the paper.

It reminds me of the stone and glass work around the University of Tulsa, especially the new buildings of the football stadium.

Maybe someone can post the different pictures.

It doesn't look grand in size, but it is hard to tell since I know that a large part of the stadium is below grade and the home plate is a couple of stories below street level.

What do others think of the design?

[TURobY]

I'm torn. It certainly was not the design choice I would've made, and it leaves me wanting... something more. I can't place a finger on what it is about it that just doesn't feel right.

I love "prarie-school", and if this building included the detailing in the windows, fixtures, and architecture, then I would appreciate it more. Right now, though, I will agree that it looks like a high school from the late '50s - early '60s era.

Maybe if some art deco elements were combined with the prarie-school design, we could name the style "Tulsa-deco" and spark a new wave of architectural design?

[Ibanez]

It looks horrible and like no thought was put into it at all.

It makes me think the firm that designed it got the contract, said "hey it's only Tulsa" and then pulled out a design someone else rejected and plastered Tulsa Ballpark on it.

[BKDotCom]

I think it's oriented on the map wrong.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by wavoka

It looks horrible and like no thought was put into it at all.

It makes me think the firm that designed it got the contract, said "hey it's only Tulsa" and then pulled out a design someone else rejected and plastered Tulsa Ballpark on it.

dude, you don't know how true that statement actually is.

"Tulsa...keeping the bar set low."

[Renaissance]

I think it's horribly wrong.  

As I said on the other thead: sports venues should inspire thoughts of grandeur and history, ESPECIALLY in baseball, which is uniquely tied to a long, rich tradition.  This design does the opposite--it is unremakrable and looks nothing like a stadium should.  Compare it to the BOK Center, which is another non-traditional design, and you see that the arena has grand sweeping lines and makes a major statement, but this proposed ballpark seems designed to hide and blend in.  

So it's below grade?  That's a reason to build UP, not down.  The design shown in the Tulsa World needs to be SCRAPPED.  Tear it off the drawing board and throw it away.  Start over.  I'd rather have a "cookie cutter" brick throwback than this uninspired avant garde nonsense.  It wouldn't be unique, but at least it would look like a stadium.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

I think it's horribly wrong.  

As I said on the other thead: sports venues should inspire thoughts of grandeur and history, ESPECIALLY in baseball, which is uniquely tied to a long, rich tradition.  This design does the opposite--it is unremakrable and looks nothing like a stadium should.  Compare it to the BOK Center, which is another non-traditional design, and you see that the arena has grand sweeping lines and makes a major statement, but this proposed ballpark seems designed to hide and blend in.  

So it's below grade?  That's a reason to build UP, not down.  The design shown in the Tulsa World needs to be SCRAPPED.  Tear it off the drawing board and throw it away.  Start over.  I'd rather have a "cookie cutter" brick throwback than this uninspired avant garde nonsense.  It wouldn't be unique, but at least it would look like a stadium.

actually I changed my mind, I like it.  I want to sit in my glassed in air conditioned box seat, sip on a latte from the on site Starbucks next door, and check my stocks on my wi-fi connected laptop.  I'll be sure and occasionally do a golf clap if someone scores, and root for whatever team happens to be playing....but please, don't make too much noise as I want to listen to my latest tracks I've downloaded.

[Townsend]

It reminds me of the side of the convention center facing Houston and 7th.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tulsa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.177128,78.75&ie=UTF8&ll=36.149292,-95.998423&spn=0,359.997597&z=19&layer=c&cbll=36.148274,-95.998126&panoid=RrX5KkTMCnW6m1cMtixHHw&cbp=12,64.34847407756365,,0,5.000000000000001

[azbadpuppy]

I like the design. I would like my house to look like this. I don't think it looks like a ballpark though, and if that's what everyone wants, then I guess it doesn't work for its intended purpose.

[swake]

I don't care for the design, it needs work.

[dsjeffries]

Instead of saying "the design needs work", I'd rather say, "we need a new design". I don't think there's anything to work with in this design.

I would like to see, as several others have mentioned, an art deco stadium. I'd love those art deco artifacts from torn-down Tulsa structures incorporated into the design in a BIG way. I don't really know what all that consists of (I didn't know we even had someone who cared to take the stuff off of buildings before demolition), but I think it would be pretty cool if we used the terra cotta pieces to form an art deco mural of sorts on entrance columns, and topped them with some distinctive deco lights.

This is kind of what I have in mind. Don't judge the terra cotta I have placed on there, just the idea in general...

[SXSW]

I think I need to see more than just two elevations before I make a decision.  3D perspectives would be nice to see.  I like the idea of a modern brick and glass ballpark but think the brick color should match the color of brick mostly found in the Brady District, not the tan color shown.

[waterboy]

I don't feel strongly about it other than to say it is tons more interesting than the current stadium. Enough with the statements of good taste and style. My hope is that we don't make it too controversial in design and forget that its main function is as a baseball stadium. We have our iconic structure with the arena. Just build the dang thing as fast and as strong as we can with attention to functionality and flexibility e.g. parking, walking, security, other uses etc.

Make as simple a statement as possible with the exterior without making it look like a memory chip, put a big iconic statue in front of it and move on.

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

Instead of saying "the design needs work", I'd rather say, "we need a new design". I don't think there's anything to work with in this design.

I would like to see, as several others have mentioned, an art deco stadium. I'd love those art deco artifacts from torn-down Tulsa structures incorporated into the design in a BIG way. I don't really know what all that consists of (I didn't know we even had someone who cared to take the stuff off of buildings before demolition), but I think it would be pretty cool if we used the terra cotta pieces to form an art deco mural of sorts on entrance columns, and topped them with some distinctive deco lights.

This is kind of what I have in mind. Don't judge the terra cotta I have placed on there, just the idea in general...

Didnt realize we had a thread on the design aspect. But just to respond to the deco idea. I would have loved for it to have been deco or had deco elements. I would have loved for it to have been brick and deco.

I cant see the point in saying anything about that now. Just about everyone I know, me top of the list, at every opportunity kept pushing, wanting, begging for it to be deco or "decoish".

The powers that be and the designers didnt give a sh@t about most people would have wanted design wise. So why on earth would they give a sh@t now at this point?

You know, no matter what you do your not going to be able to please everyone and someone is going to complain. BUT the one sure fire way to have gotten in the good graces of most people in this city would have been to play up a strong deco influence.

[sgrizzle]

Y'all know that there are three kinds of deco, only one really used the kind of embellishments DSJEFFRIES posted?

I need to see some real image to judge. A stright side view tells us nothing really of how it looks. They need to tweak it with a grand entrance and a few arches and they could likley be very art deco.