The St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) are going with an interesting design team for their new Lowertown ballpark, with local architect Julie Snow designing the public spaces in the facility.
Finance and Commerce interviewed Snow, whose background is not in sports architecture, but rather in design services of all sorts, including architecture, interior design services, custom furnishings and furniture specifications. Money quote:
While Minneapolis-based Ryan Cos. US Inc. is the architect of record and AECOM the ballpark architect, Snow’s firm designed the areas that will most affect fans and the surrounding community.
Snow spent a lot of time at the Saints’ funky home field, Midway Stadium, and she hung around the team’s offices to get a feeling for how a new ballpark should suit the fans.
The team owners’ main concern was the park’s function. They had no preconceptions about how it should look, but part owner Mike Veeck said he didn’t want another Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles’ old-fashioned stadium.
The new Saints ballpark is decidedly not retro, though there were some local critics and elected officials arguing a retro design would fit best in the Lowertown brick-and-steel atmosphere.
Renderings courtesy of St. Paul Saints.
RELATED STORIES: St. Paul Saints unveil new ballpark renderings; Debate continues over new Saints ballpark design; Saints, St. Paul Saints reach initial agreement on ballpark lease; Worker killed at Saints new-ballpark construction site; Design deadlines slip on new Saints ballpark
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