Nationals Park

[RichardLillard1]

Well, once again no one sees sarcasm on the internet (I should have known that would happen). I was hoping to get a more detailed response from you when I posted it, having not thought about your previous post at the time.

Of course its an awful design. Why would you take a design you already have in the books and then go "well, its nice but move those decks back as far as you can while still giving a cantilevered effect". To me this park truly shows that HOK has been tapped out of ideas for quite some time. Not that I didn't know this already but its quite obvious and even more apparent with this stadium than any other that they have nothing left to "wow" us with.

And who in their right minds takes seats away from the area behind home plate? I suppose the only thing I can say to that is that the upper deck would have been pretty far at that spot anyway so in a round about way they did some people a favor. I just hope other ballclubs don't try and follow suit on this type of design because if they do then baseball will truly be lost to the practice of capatalism.

However it wouldn't suprise me at this point of HOK made their next park a true gem like PETCO or PNC. They have been on such a flip-flop lately that its anyone's guess at this point. And also as someone pointed out earlier, this ballpark will see more than its fair share of politicians and lobbyists using it as a meeting grounds of some type. Its sad but true, their target audience with this park was probably the high-classers who will spend more on a suite than a good seat to catch a baseball game. Kinda makes me wonder what kind of tvs will be in the suite bathrooms.....



Richard

[placount]

And who in their right minds takes seats away from the area behind home plate? I suppose the only thing I can say to that is that the upper deck would have been pretty far at that spot anyway so in a round about way they did some people a favor. I just hope other ballclubs don't try and follow suit on this type of design because if they do then baseball will truly be lost to the practice of capatalism.

i saw some pictures that made it look like the new oakland stadium was doing this as well. its funny cause you all hate it when hok does it in washington, but when someone else does it in oakland you rub out to it.

[RichardLillard1]

i saw some pictures that made it look like the new oakland stadium was doing this as well. its funny cause you all hate it when hok does it in washington, but when someone else does it in oakland you rub out to it.

I didn't choose to "rub out to it" per se. I haven't looked enough at the new Athletic's design to make any solid opinions about it so far. What I have seen of it I like but I haven't looked at anything detailed. The only things about it that stick out in my mind are the bleachers over the street and I saw a rendering of it from the view point of something in the air. This is not near enough for me to have made a firm opinion on it.

In terms of newer ballpark design though, I see no reason to push the upper decks back as far as they do. Back a few feet (10 maybe) is about as far as you would need to go from the average closeness of the old steel post parks of the past. This would improve the sightlines and leave everyone a clear view of the field while still keeping everyone on top of the action. Obviously in situations where there is an overhang another solution needs to be presented.

And as far as putting less seating behind home plate... is that no the best spot bar none to see a game? 90% of the action happens between the pitcher's mound and home plate. Right behind this area you can see right away if the pitch was low or just right and so on. Its pointless to take seats away from the best spot in favor of suites where a lot of the people who occupy them will not be focusing on the game but more on the party in said suite.

[placount]

i agree completely that behind home plate is the best spot. i just feel everyones hate for hok is getting out of hand. when hok designs something they get flak, but when 360 does something almost exactly the same they dont.

[Knick9]

i agree completely that behind home plate is the best spot. i just feel everyones hate for hok is getting out of hand. when hok designs something they get flak, but when 360 does something almost exactly the same they dont.

Yeah, because HOK doesn't stop producing crap, thus they get more and more criticism (rightly so), and other ballpark makers don't get bashed by us because they actually have good ideas for their ballpark designs. Fact.

[Knick9]

Well, once again no one sees sarcasm on the internet (I should have known that would happen). I was hoping to get a more detailed response from you when I posted it, having not thought about your previous post at the time.

Richard

Oh, then in that case, you were just joking...

[placount]

Yeah, because HOK doesn't stop producing crap, thus they get more and more criticism (rightly so), and other ballpark makers don't get bashed by us because they actually have good ideas for their ballpark designs. Fact.

is it fair though to give someone a free pass on doing something you thought was so terrible when someone else did it?

[Williamsburg2599]

Why not just build a ballpark inside a luxury apartment complex? Then they can stack the suites on top of each other 20 rows high.

[grandslamsingle]

Then they can stack the suites on top of each other 20 rows high.

That's been done -- in Cleveland:

[Elvis]

i saw some pictures that made it look like the new oakland stadium was doing this as well. its funny cause you all hate it when hok does it in washington, but when someone else does it in oakland you rub out to it.

The A's new ballpark will not only feature upper seating behind home, it will feature cantilevered upper decks with much closer proximity than most HOK designs, as shown in this cross-section:

AT&T Park in white, new A's park in yellow.



Cisco Field's upper deck is split into two decks. The main lower larger section will wrap around, while the small 5-row upper section will be cut off behind home plate, but not for suites, for the press box, ala Wrigley Field. Apples and oranges.

[Smirkman]

The A's new ballpark will not only feature upper seating behind home, it will feature cantilevered upper decks with much closer proximity than most HOK designs, as shown in this cross-section:

AT&T Park in white, new A's park in yellow.



Cisco Field's upper deck is split into two decks. The main lower larger section will wrap around, while the small 5-row upper section will be cut off behind home plate, but not for suites, for the press box, ala Wrigley Field. Apples and oranges.

Um, the building in the upper portion of the upper deck of the Nationals Park is the Press Box. It was either here or get rid of the club level for the press box. The stadium does 2 things. It gets fans closer behind homeplate while moving the press far away and maximizes more expensive seats by having them closer.

[Elvis]

Um, the building in the upper portion of the upper deck of the Nationals Park is the Press Box. It was either here or get rid of the club level for the press box. The stadium does 2 things. It gets fans closer behind homeplate while moving the press far away and maximizes more expensive seats by having them closer.

Yep, you're right, it is the press box. Still don't like the idea of only having 800 seats behind home plate that don't cost $60 or more, but hey, I guess that's progress.

[Smirkman]

Yep, you're right, it is the press box. Still don't like the idea of only having 800 seats behind home plate that don't cost $60 or more, but hey, I guess that's progress.

How do you feel about $22 seats? There really are alot of seats behind home plate. As much as in any other park. Many of them just happen to be expensive.

[Smirkman]

True, but the extra line or lines means less people have to make multiple transfers (unless they are lucky enough to be located near a station along the green line).

I agree the new park has a lot more potential for neighborhood interaction and business growth than RFK, but I think it's going to take a little while for that area to become an established entertainment district. I don't think it will happen overnight.

To get to any line one would have a maximum of one transfer per trip.

Also the area is transforming almost as fast as the stadium is being built.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...061601576.html

[Elvis]

How do you feel about $22 seats? There really are alot of seats behind home plate. As much as in any other park. Many of them just happen to be expensive.

That's the whole point. There are very few of those cheap *cough* $25 seats. That level is only 5 rows deep.

There really are alot of seats behind home plate. As much as in any other park.

That's factually incorrect. Most stadiums have three to four times the number of upper deck seats behind home plate. Check out Turner Field, Petco, Coors, Dodger Stadium, Comiskey, Cisco Field, CitiField, PNC, Comerica, Bank One, GAB, Trop, Minute Maid, Arlington, Anaheim...shall I go on?