@@Plokijuh1229 Oracle has great public transportation. One can take Caltrain from San Jose and the Peninsula, Muni in San Francisco itself and various city busses, BART and a Muni ride to the park, ferries from Oakland and Marin County. There is no reason to drive to Oracle Park to watch the Giants. Hunter Pence got there by scooter, living nearby.
I really enjoyed this overview. Notice in the Camden Yards photo all the row homes that surround the ball field. I live in one of them. Walking from your house to see a baseball or football game is one of the great pleasures of living in a walkable city. Walking in my neighborhood and hearing the roar of the stadium crowd adds so much atmosphere.
I wonder if your impression will change at all now that they're becoming one of the hottest tickets in town, and will be for at least a few years it seems. Good problem to have, probably.
I grew up 2 blocks from my high school football field. The sound of practices in the late summer and Saturday fall games are dear to me. Neighborhood atmosphere. Yum.
That’s me hear in Wrigleyville! Beautiful residential neighborhood, iconic park, and hearing the crowd cheer when my windows are open letting me know something happened before I see it on the tv or hear it on the radio. Camden Yards is on my bucket list.
Time Stamps for my Peeps! 0:28 - The Palace of the Fans - Cincinnati 1:53 - Shibe Park - Philadephia (Jewel Box Era) 3:37 - Negro League Discussion 4:34 - Rickwood Field - Birmingham (Negro League) 5:20 - General Baseball Architecture Constraints 6:20 - Fenway Park - Boston 6:46 - Yankee Stadium - New York (The Bronx) 8:20 - Municipal Stadium - Cleveland (The Land) 9:46 - Candlestick Park - San Francisco 11:35 - Astrodome - Houston 12:59 - Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Baltimore 14:43 - Citi Field - New York (Sorry Mets Fans) 15:06 - Ebbets Field - Brooklyn (Citi Field Bashing) 16:50 - Loandepot Park - Miami
I usually like his architectural analyses, but he's way off base with what he said about CitiField. 🙄 So off-putting that I had no choice but to give the entire video a dislike, a first for this channel.
Janet Marie Smith belongs in the Hall of Fame. She not only started the retro-designs with Camden Yards, but also saved Fenway Park, not to mention countless other designs of hers. She has made a lasting contibution to baseball not equalled by any of her contemporaries.
Cubs fan, so Wrigley always sits at the top for me. But I've never been to Camden but it sits 2nd on my list (going by what I've seen during broadcasting and doc's like this). Got to see my 3rd back in 2016 - Kauffman Stadium.
Your point about the size difference between the exterior facades of Citi and Ebbets Fields helped me to better understand an experience I had with my dad when Citi Field opened in 2009. My dad grew up in Brooklyn and spent many an afternoon at Ebbets Field. He later adopted the Mets after the Dodgers moved west, and in 1970 he and I began going to Met games at Shea. When Citi Field was built, I remember all the hoopla about how the entrance was designed to resemble the one at Ebbets Field, and was thinking my dad was going to feel nostalgic and excited when we went to our first game there. When we did get to that first Citi game, Dad noted that our ticket taker just inside the entrance was about his age, and, with a knowing smile, said to the guy, "This doesn't look like Ebbets Field at all!" The ticket taker responded, "Ya got that right!" 🙂
Shea had an icon entrance that would have evoked the nostalgia for more living generations for longer. CitiField is a great viewing experience, even if it can’t measure to Ebbets Field on architectural merits.
Never in a million years I would have expected Loan Depot Park would be the example of a great new stadium. I live near Little Havana and that stadium looks like a spaceship just landed there. I'm glad to hear positive things about it.
@@SoSoMillie Shea was built perfectly for its era. Considering it opened in time for the 1964-65 NYC worlds fair. People thought the future was driving to a parking lot and going to a game. They ballpark was the 2nd stadium to have retractable seats in the field level to accomadate Football and Baseball (RFK was first). The original facade had orange and blue panels spread throughout which went with the theme of the fair. Also the ground level entrances up to 8 or 9 feet up was made of that 1960s style brick that you only see in buildings made in that era. All this being said in the late 2000's in NYC Original Yankee Stadium and Shea needed replacing. There isnt many places to build new stadiums in the five boroughs. The Jets failed to build a West side stadium. NYCFC is still looking for a permanent home. So Citifield had to be built in the parking lot of Shea stadium. They tried to make the best retro classic park possible. Since football was never to be played at Citifield. They dont have to design it like the original Shea Stadium. There is a great chance that NYCFC will get their stadium done in either the Bronx next to Yankee Stadium in the excess parking structures designed for old Yankee Stadium or it will be built right across the street from Citifield with the chopshops being taken over by emminent domain. In both cases the existing parking lot for New Yankee Stadium or Citifield will be used for parking in the new soccer stadium. Both teams however wont be schedueled to have a home game the same day to mitigate the potential parking issue.
LoanDepot Park is actually a great ball park I’ve had a chance to visit over 20 ballparks across our country and LoanDepot is actually well designed, to bad attendance is so poor. A little bias of course as a Marlins Season ticket holder but it is a good ballpark hopefully ownership can do something different.
Very interesting! I’d love to see a series on collegial buildings. They don’t make buildings like that anymore and they seem to have their unique style of themselves.
It's crazy to me that when i think of Camden Yards, I don't even think of the ballpark first. I IMMEDIATELY visualize the warehouse across the street. It's that iconic.
One thing in Citi Field's favor is the interior - I've sat all over that park, from pricey to the cheapest seats, and there's really no bad seats there IMO. It's a great experience actually *watching* the game. It would be cool if there was more things to do around it other than chop shops, but there is the World's Fair park, and the presence of the subway stop makes it feel like part of 'the city' to me. This really made me want to go take in a game in Miami, though!
@@Tools_of_a_Goddude is just one of those architects that wants walkable cities and a big ego. He trashed it and then praised ebbets field when the outside is purely based on it.
@@Yourcousinvinnie @brian I’m a Dodger fan with family in San Diego - I feel very fortunate to be able to catch games in both Dodger Stadium and Petco Park! They are very different and both have their unique charms.
Wrigley Field in Chicago is in the midst of the city. Old Comisky park was built on the south side in more of a strictly residential area. Of course, change had to occur.
I love Citifield, it's a great place to take in a game. The sight lines are great. Plenty of meeting/family points in the stadium. And the rotunda was "inspired" by ebbets it wasn't meant to be a carbon copy. It's honestly become its own thing. Watching fans come off the 7 train and filter into the rotunda has a certain ambiance to it. The only problem with the field is there is nothing walkable to do near by. Future development is coming to the area (chop shops are gone) so hopefully there is more to do around stadium in future.
I agree, when he said citi field was a “bad example”… everytime I’ve been to citi field I’ve either walked through vibrant communities or it’s been easily accessible due to the way it has been built into public transportation. I love seeing games there
Fabulous!! Grew up going to Wrigley Field and will always love that stadium. I'm glad they are bringing stadiums back in the city. That's where they should be.
It’s an anomaly. I don’t think he could’ve spoken at length on architecture, but it’s multiple additions/transformations, and even the most recent renovation which was an engineering feat, as well as simply what Wrigley is could have easily been talked about.
I was thinking the same thing, but even more dismayed that he didn't even bother with Dodger Stadium, truly, the first, and now oldest (and best and only one still standing) of the "modern" ballparks, and unique and iconic in its own way, in it's setting, and featuring great mid-century details.
@@alcostello6114 angel stadium imo sucks. The design is nice but it’s just plopped off the side of the freeway in the middle of a massive parking lot. Would’ve been way cooler if the location was better.
Wish he had included Oracle Park in San Francisco (the stadium that replaced Candlestick Park). It seems exemplary for the 'return to city integration' design. Its in the city proper, has a human scale brick façade, is integrated into the city transit structure, is surrounded by urban amenities, and has views into and out of the stadium. His critique of what it lacks or how it does or does not progress the design of stadiums, would have been interesting. One criticism of urban integrated stadiums I have, derives from the fact that they are ultimately just performance centers. In fact the more they embrace that, the more integrated, good neighborly, and useful they are to the community. But they also have the problems of all performance centers (convention centers, concert halls, etc). The foot traffic and noise overwhelms the neighborhood, extracting a high price from the locals, and they dominate the regional economy in a way that reduces resiliency and skews urban planning.
i agree! i was really hoping he was gonna talk about it as well. i think oracle park is one of the most unique stadiums with it being next to the water.
I think probably the best way that the setting of the stadiun was balanced with the city around it is the Skydome (I refuse to use the other name). They conciously put it in the downtown core and in a place that was already a tourist attraction (right next to the CN Tower), and they also made it walkable from Toronto's Union Station, so those coming in from the subway, or from out of town via a GO Train can easily get to the game, there's even a covered walkway from the station to the stadium. It being directly downtown means that it doesn't really mess with the neighbourhood, as the residences that surround it are exclusively condos, and there are no massive parking lots around it, they're all underground. Too bad it's not a particularly good looking building. Still, it's an iconic piece of Toronto's skyline, something I don't think any other stadium really is, outside of the former Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
The amount of shade for CitiField feels personal lol. Ive been there a few times and the scale is actually very awesome, a great tribute to Jackie and Willy, and is connected to the city, very walkable and the subway is right there...
(0:25) Palace of the Fans (1:54) Shibe Park (6:16) Fenway Park (6:46) Yankee Stadium (8:21) Cleveland Municipal Stadium (9:45) Candlestick Park (11:34) Astrodome (13:16) Camden Yards (14:34) Citi Field (16:50) Loandepot Park
I have no clue what he is speaking about with his descriptions of the details (yeah, I said it), but he clearly knows of what he speaks. But, it is the passion he has for it that I feel, and thus, find myself engrossed by this. Love the 4am TH-cam rabbit hole!
I love how I'm being taught. How basics, function, style, structure, proportion, material, location and sooooo much more is being offered. And no pretentiousness. A big "thank you" for that. :)
This is a great video. A little bummed we got no mention of PNC Park but obviously you picked all these to tell an evolutionary story and maybe PNC doesn't fit into that? But it's so beautiful and had a lot of the qualities you mentioned in this video, a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline, in the grid but also separated in a way by bridges. Id live to see a video on that and some other notable parks. Maybe even an entire series going through all of the stadiums.
13:31 Regarding the tracks, while the warehouse isn't used as a yard anymore and became abandoned which eventually led to it becoming a part of the ballpark, CSX Transportation (B&O's successor) still uses the facility's lower-level tracks as part of its mainline for its freight trains. It also still functions as a passenger rail station as you can see tracks in this picture on the other side of the warehouse that is served by MARC's Camden Line to DC's Union Station, as well as a stop on the Baltimore Light RailLink. And it wasn't just Janet Marie Smith who saved the warehouse, it was also Eric Moss. Eric was looking for architecture thesis ideas. He first tried Europe, thought about forts, but decided to return to the States to look for something. While attending a game at Fenway in the late 80s, Eric was fascinated with the Green Monster and its height. Moss decided that for his thesis, he'd design a stadium that was formed by its surroundings. Around this same time, the Orioles were looking for a location for a new ballpark. He visited the city, checked the sites, saw the warehouse and said, "That's my Green Monster". He drew up and built a model and competed with other proposals. It wasn't until the Orioles saw Moss's presentation that they realized they could save it. Despite this, he didn't win, and HOK Sport which originally proposed a generic stadium before changing their design and proposing to keep half the warehouse won and got credit for keeping the whole warehouse instead of Moss
I would be interested too! You should check out a book on row houses called The North Atlantic Cities. It shows how all the cities in the region are pretty much architectural cousins haha
I've only ever attended one baseball game in my life, and am glad it was at Camden Yards. Was sitting in the bleachers but from there, iIt was a relatively beautiful scene in front of me with the contrast of the field in green and the warehouse in the distance in brick red.
Those are the best seats in the house if you ask me. I remember sitting in the very front watching the Mariners when they came to town and talking to Ichiro lol. I could hear their feet in the grass as they ran absolutely amazing
As a O’s fan from Baltimore, I kno I’m spoiled to have grown up going to games yearly at Oriole Park at Camden Yards! Luckily I’m 39 so I remember goin to games at terrible Memorial Stadium also so I can appreciate how beautiful it is!! It is crazy to think tho that it’s still one of the most beautiful stadiums in sports and will continue to be as long as we take care of it, especially with the O’s starting to win again!!!
Thoroughly enjoyed learning the cliffs note’s history of baseball stadiums. I’d love to get this architect’s thoughts on PNC Park in Pittsburgh, a ballpark I would consider to currently be the best in the game.
Wow I could watch you do this for every single park. I would love to see your expanded thoughts on the Rogers Centre, as I am sure everyone else would love to see you do their team's respective parks.
The Rogers Centre, aka Skydome, when built was a virtual skyscraper at 282 feet to the top of it's dome. That's equivalent to a 31 story building. In it's 34 years, the City of Toronto has grown from 3.8 million to 6.4 million and the once-overwhelming kandmark known as the Skydome is now diminished by the hundreds of much taller skyscrapers that now surround the landmark. The Skydome's next-door neighbor, the CN Tower, is still the most prominent landmark, easily visible more than 30 miles away in Western New York.
I love this series!! Especially the breakdown of architecture in television and movies. It would be amazing to see the history and breakdown of airports, government buildings, museums, universities, places of worship, banks, grocery stores, shopping malls, train stations, Southern California dwellings from Victorian era to end of 1970s, bridges
The success of Citifield has nothing to do with the outside - it has to do with the experience of the fans once inside the stadium during an actual game. You're close to the action and the entire field is open to view almost all the time if you are walking around the stadium to get food etc. The choice to build the stadium outside the city grid was determined by NYC government and beside there is no space in NYC for baseball stadiums, only more luxury apartments. Compared to Shea, Citi is beautiful and effective. We also find it intimate in a way that Shea and Yankee (old and new) never was. The rest of your video was fascinating and enlightening. We very much enjoy your other videos as well.
Citi Field was built as a tribute to Ebbett's Field but it wasn't intended to be a mirror of it. It's also very much in the city grid except that it has outdoor parking lots - but the stadium itself is surrounded by city streets and it is very much in NYC.
Really wished Dodger Stadium had been included, and not just because it's my home team. The way the stadium was situated, the views it was designed to maximize, the design elements borrowed from Disneyland, are just some reasons why. Heck, it could've been mentioned in the same breath as Candlestick if we're talking about ugly parking lots. At least I got to learn more about Ebbets Field; home plate is still marked by a plaque in Brooklyn.
No kidding. What a BIG omission from this video. Jackie Robinson was mentioned at least twice and there was even a section on Ebbets Field, but no mention of Dodger Stadium at all makes me downvote this video.
@@jph4852 Dodger stadium is an ok stadium, but not something like Candem Yards or old Yankee Stadium. Its far away from LA, an ugly parking lot, nothing special, etc...
@@lavarball5742 White Dodger fans and "Doyers" fans that are oblivious to that fact, all say its in the past and that it was the city of LA that did it.
I would love a series on city center parks... bandstands, statues, fountains, gazebos, hardscape vs softscape, what works and what doesn't. How residents of a city use the space or don't use.
You have reviewed DC and federal buildings, how about a review of state capitols? We have a beautiful Greek style capitol in Colorado, made of regional rose onyx and capped with a gold dome.
In Defense of Citi Field (it and Shea combined to be my childhood ballparks, so yes I am biased here), it has made many improvements to give it its own character and life that was initially missing. The walkways with the fan written bricks, the statue of Tom Seaver, the original Home Run Apple, and an increased focus on the Mets’ history as opposed to the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It doesn’t feel like you’re watching the game surrounded by parking lots, and as a matter of fact you can see the city skyline a number of parts of the ballpark. New York is too congested to be home to an outdoor venue the size of Citi Field or Yankee Stadium. Even it’s suburbs have grown too congested to house the Giants and Jets. Although I would be interested to see a video talking about the new UBS arena that opened not too far away from Citi Field…
Agreed, UBS would be an interesting take. Beautiful building that had to be fit in a very populated suburb wedged between a parkway and existing houses track
It pains me to say this because I'm a Mets fan but he made great points about Citi Field. Awesome video. Very educational and insightful and I appreciate that he didn't dumb things down
@@RMSFAM09Right now there are efforts to rebuild that area, call Willets Point and move the chop shops out and create a neighborhood like setting similar to Wrigley and Fenway
@@richardkim9952 I drove through that "neighborhood" where the chop shops are to find free street parking. I couldnt believe that area was in the 5 borughs. The pothole were like creators in the middle of the street. In some parts 4 or 5 feet deep. I dont think the entire area even has running sewage lines either because I saw many a porta potty along side buildings. Its a place to get cheap car parts from wrecked vehicles from shady mechanics. That area really needs to be redeveloped
Cannot believe you made a whole video about baseball stadiums and did not mention Sportsmans Park or Busch Stadium 1 or 2 in St. Louis. The Cardinals are one of the best MLB teams and this is a HUGE baseball town. You couldv'e used any of the three as a good example for one of the types you mentioned.
Glad to see someone else say this. The current stadium is gorgeous and very much utilizes the downtown for a scenic backdrop. By far one of the best stadiums in all of baseball.
I grew up in Southern California. I loved going to Anaheim Stadium in the late 80s and early 90s. It wasn’t very personable, tho. Almost in the business part of Anaheim with warehouses and a freeway nearby. Even Disneyland is quite a ways away. Surrounded by a hot asphalt parking lot, you drove in, watched the game; then drive out. Twenty years later I got to go to Target Field for the first time. It’s not far from downtown Minneapolis, with parking structures and public transportation right next door. There’s also clubs and restaurants nearby. The city is very personable. It’s always a great experience going to a Twins game, with the exception of some chilly weather for some of those early April games (like when the Dodgers came to two this year).
@@barrycream2139 I would have to strongly disagree. Stadiums like Sofi stadium, Metlife stadium, lucas oil stadium, mercedez stadium in Atlanta, Levi stadium, and the superdome all have their fair share of innovations and styles.
Orioles park at Camden yards REMAINS the best MLB stadium in the country in my opinion. It’s right down town. It’s timeless, it’s a rallying point for the citizens there and they had to replace a very iconic former stadium- memorial stadium. There’s a plaza to the south of Camden yards that still has the original lettering from memorial stadium now on a granite wall, and that’s a common feature at the park there are several separate entrance points to the complex that all have different intents
I appreciate the comment about ball parks built outside of the city that essentially cut themselves off from the daily life of the community at large which otherwise and arguably connects the people to a lifestyle related to the game.
I like this. An honest-to-goodness real architect discussing the architecture of the great ballparks. Nice to hear from an actual architect's expert point of view.
I would like to see a feature on the evolution of the architectural design of public places from a safety standpoint. Things like fire safety, crowd safety, structural safety, and how that has changed in architecture over time. Maybe you could pick some interesting examples and how they led to safety features we see in public buildings all around us now.
As a Chicago native, it hurts that Wriggly was only briefly mentioned and didn’t have its coverage in the video like it’s a staple baseball stadium in the Midwest.
I can’t get enough of Michael! He’s such a good presenter. The only way this video could have been better if he had mentioned how municipal funded stadiums almost always end up being net negative for the tax payers, so stadiums should be built using private funds.
Cleveland Municipal Stadium and Candlestick Park are within the City Limits. Also the railroad tracks behind Camden Yards is very much an active railway for the MARC trains to Washington DC and the Baltimore Light Rail system.
In regards to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, it wasn't a return to the city for Baltimore but a relocation. The previous stadium, Memorial Stadium, was well within the city limits at 33rd St. It was a multi-use structure and home to the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Colts so it wasn't great as either a baseball or football stadium. Architecturally it wasn't much either except for the front wall with it's commemoration to WW1 & WW2 veterans but it was home. Incidentally, the city commissioned a custom font for the quote and a part of it was saved and installed at Canden yards.
I was fortunate enough to go to the first game at Camden Yards (thanks to my brother who bought season tickets). The design was a revelation and you could tell that everyone in attendance realized how special it was. The whole day was one big celebration. Interestingly, the stadium that Camden Yards replaced was also “of the city.” Memorial Stadium was smack dab in a Baltimore neighborhood but wasn’t next to the Inner Harbor like Camden Yards.
I think Target Field is a great example of the "return to the city" theme as well. It has the smallest footprint of any current MLB stadium and yet seats 40k in downtown Minneapolis. It also incorporated Target Center next door by constructing a Plaza to connect the two making a great place to gather before and after games.
What a wonderful way to start the morning!! Fantastic story of Ballparks (aka Stadiums). Worth the time and added much to my knowledge of Baseball as a part of American history.
As someone from New England, I find the difference between an experience of going to a Red Sox game and a Patriots game is a vastly different experience. Fenway Park being in the middle of Boston, can't find parking, but have the charm of being in the city. Where Gillette Stadium in Foxborough has the "surrounded by parking lots" feel that was talked about in the video. Both have good and bad to them, but they are so very different
He nailed on Citi field! I was there during the inaugural year when it opened. Went to a few games for a sweet spot. I can say center field during summer day into night game. You get that cold draft hitting you from behind which sucks with the wind current. It’s much better than shea all concrete and gosh the bathrooms lol. I do miss that ramp and the neon cuts 💚
As a lifelong sports fan, I loved Michael Wyetzner’s presentation of great baseball parks. My only wish is that he included Dodger Stadium & Wrigley Field somehow. But other than that, I loved this video. I would definitely love to see either a Part 2 about baseball parks, or even a vid about other pro sports stadiums (NBA, NFL & NHL).
The last two ballparks I think got the messaging backwards. Citi Field is meant to appeal and be accessible to Long Island and also NYC, so it has public transportation access AND parking. LoanDepot Park is NOT “in the city” by the way any non-Little Havana resident would refer to the City of Miami. It’s literally smack in the middle of a suburb of Miami, a few miles to the west of “the city”. Plus, its location fails to capitalize on the location of half of the team’s fanbase (or potential fanbase), which is in the Fort Lauderdale / Boca Raton / West Palm Beach corridor. No one that lives or works in those areas would dare fight rush hour traffic to get to a 7:05pm ballgame on a Wednesday night. The reason Citi Field got its location right is the same reason LoanDepot Park got it wrong: The majority of the team’s fanbase is NOT located within city limits of the major city the team represents.
Absolutely wonderful Michael, I love seeing an architects take on these important public spaces. I would love to see a deep dive into the stadiums around NYC going back to before the professional era, the history of the game has deep roots in NYC, roots that have spread all the way to California...
a “City Series” would be cool - architects break down the coolest architectural feats / buildings / history about their cities and why it’s unique to them. Would love to see how places evolve over time and how cities differ from each other. Architecture is such a beautiful art form!
I now have a deeper appreciation for the structure and personality of these ballparks. Thank you. I never really noticed just how “Miami” that Loan Depot park is.
Would love a part 2 or even a series on all the stadiums
I would love that!
he is rolling his eyes at this comment having 500 likes lol
Like the nfl does
I concur!
All of them
I'm glad they've found a way to bring stadiums back to the city.
Tapio th-cam.com/video/4IPROkoAWkI/w-d-xo.html
@@nathanielmash1897 bot
yeah it’s so great to not only have to fight with event traffic but city traffic aswell.
@@snakelama public transportation
@@Plokijuh1229 Oracle has great public transportation. One can take Caltrain from San Jose and the Peninsula, Muni in San Francisco itself and various city busses, BART and a Muni ride to the park, ferries from Oakland and Marin County. There is no reason to drive to Oracle Park to watch the Giants. Hunter Pence got there by scooter, living nearby.
I really enjoyed this overview. Notice in the Camden Yards photo all the row homes that surround the ball field. I live in one of them. Walking from your house to see a baseball or football game is one of the great pleasures of living in a walkable city. Walking in my neighborhood and hearing the roar of the stadium crowd adds so much atmosphere.
that's neat you can walk to it! and in the next couple years your local team looks to be a real contender!
I wonder if your impression will change at all now that they're becoming one of the hottest tickets in town, and will be for at least a few years it seems. Good problem to have, probably.
Hands down my favorite part of living here! I’m over on sharp st. The warehouse is the first thing I see every morning (and the reserve bank lol)
I grew up 2 blocks from my high school football field. The sound of practices in the late summer and Saturday fall games are dear to me. Neighborhood atmosphere. Yum.
That’s me hear in Wrigleyville! Beautiful residential neighborhood, iconic park, and hearing the crowd cheer when my windows are open letting me know something happened before I see it on the tv or hear it on the radio.
Camden Yards is on my bucket list.
Time Stamps for my Peeps!
0:28 - The Palace of the Fans - Cincinnati
1:53 - Shibe Park - Philadephia (Jewel Box Era)
3:37 - Negro League Discussion
4:34 - Rickwood Field - Birmingham (Negro League)
5:20 - General Baseball Architecture Constraints
6:20 - Fenway Park - Boston
6:46 - Yankee Stadium - New York (The Bronx)
8:20 - Municipal Stadium - Cleveland (The Land)
9:46 - Candlestick Park - San Francisco
11:35 - Astrodome - Houston
12:59 - Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Baltimore
14:43 - Citi Field - New York (Sorry Mets Fans)
15:06 - Ebbets Field - Brooklyn (Citi Field Bashing)
16:50 - Loandepot Park - Miami
I usually like his architectural analyses, but he's way off base with what he said about CitiField. 🙄 So off-putting that I had no choice but to give the entire video a dislike, a first for this channel.
Janet Marie Smith belongs in the Hall of Fame. She not only started the retro-designs with Camden Yards, but also saved Fenway Park, not to mention countless other designs of hers. She has made a lasting contibution to baseball not equalled by any of her contemporaries.
100% well said
I could see her going, in the "pioneer" category. Like Candy Cummings who invented the Curveball.
Camden Yards will always be my favorite. Such a classic look.
I'm forever grateful that I live nearby. My dad and I get to go to a bunch of games a year in the best stadium in baseball.
Hell yeah man. It's gorgeous. I try to make it at least once a year. Let's go O's!
Cubs fan, so Wrigley always sits at the top for me. But I've never been to Camden but it sits 2nd on my list (going by what I've seen during broadcasting and doc's like this). Got to see my 3rd back in 2016 - Kauffman Stadium.
@@BlueBagger83 Wrigley is on my bucket list. The history alone would make it worth the trip.
They had to build that hotel that blocked the Bromo- Seltzer Tower.....
Your point about the size difference between the exterior facades of Citi and Ebbets Fields helped me to better understand an experience I had with my dad when Citi Field opened in 2009. My dad grew up in Brooklyn and spent many an afternoon at Ebbets Field. He later adopted the Mets after the Dodgers moved west, and in 1970 he and I began going to Met games at Shea. When Citi Field was built, I remember all the hoopla about how the entrance was designed to resemble the one at Ebbets Field, and was thinking my dad was going to feel nostalgic and excited when we went to our first game there. When we did get to that first Citi game, Dad noted that our ticket taker just inside the entrance was about his age, and, with a knowing smile, said to the guy, "This doesn't look like Ebbets Field at all!" The ticket taker responded, "Ya got that right!" 🙂
Shea had an icon entrance that would have evoked the nostalgia for more living generations for longer. CitiField is a great viewing experience, even if it can’t measure to Ebbets Field on architectural merits.
Never in a million years I would have expected Loan Depot Park would be the example of a great new stadium. I live near Little Havana and that stadium looks like a spaceship just landed there. I'm glad to hear positive things about it.
I was confused when he brought up citi field as a negative example and loan depot as a good example lol
@@GregoryIllinivich I've never been to Citi Field but ol' Shea had its appeal.
@@SoSoMillie Shea was built perfectly for its era. Considering it opened in time for the 1964-65 NYC worlds fair. People thought the future was driving to a parking lot and going to a game. They ballpark was the 2nd stadium to have retractable seats in the field level to accomadate Football and Baseball (RFK was first). The original facade had orange and blue panels spread throughout which went with the theme of the fair. Also the ground level entrances up to 8 or 9 feet up was made of that 1960s style brick that you only see in buildings made in that era.
All this being said in the late 2000's in NYC Original Yankee Stadium and Shea needed replacing. There isnt many places to build new stadiums in the five boroughs. The Jets failed to build a West side stadium. NYCFC is still looking for a permanent home. So Citifield had to be built in the parking lot of Shea stadium. They tried to make the best retro classic park possible. Since football was never to be played at Citifield. They dont have to design it like the original Shea Stadium. There is a great chance that NYCFC will get their stadium done in either the Bronx next to Yankee Stadium in the excess parking structures designed for old Yankee Stadium or it will be built right across the street from Citifield with the chopshops being taken over by emminent domain. In both cases the existing parking lot for New Yankee Stadium or Citifield will be used for parking in the new soccer stadium. Both teams however wont be schedueled to have a home game the same day to mitigate the potential parking issue.
LoanDepot Park is actually a great ball park I’ve had a chance to visit over 20 ballparks across our country and LoanDepot is actually well designed, to bad attendance is so poor. A little bias of course as a Marlins Season ticket holder but it is a good ballpark hopefully ownership can do something different.
@@SoSoMillie my uncle said shea was a dump
Very interesting! I’d love to see a series on collegial buildings. They don’t make buildings like that anymore and they seem to have their unique style of themselves.
I agree 100 percent, that would be an incredible video!
Agreed!
If so I hope UNC chapel hill gets featured !
The design of many have been influenced by the University of Virginia, designed by Thomas Jefferson.
Oh definitely. Even just focusing a series on college/university libraries would be interesting.
It's crazy to me that when i think of Camden Yards, I don't even think of the ballpark first. I IMMEDIATELY visualize the warehouse across the street. It's that iconic.
One thing in Citi Field's favor is the interior - I've sat all over that park, from pricey to the cheapest seats, and there's really no bad seats there IMO. It's a great experience actually *watching* the game. It would be cool if there was more things to do around it other than chop shops, but there is the World's Fair park, and the presence of the subway stop makes it feel like part of 'the city' to me. This really made me want to go take in a game in Miami, though!
I love the inside and outside of citifield. This guy is just looking at pictures. Citi field is one of the best stadiums out there
@@Tools_of_a_Goddude is just one of those architects that wants walkable cities and a big ego. He trashed it and then praised ebbets field when the outside is purely based on it.
Petco Park in San Diego is a beautiful example of new retro design and is nicely integrated into the city grid downtown.
Agreed Petco looks really nice.
Not a bad seat in that stadium I sat in the nose bleeds and I felt I was right on 3rd base
I was really hoping he would mention Petco Park
@@Yourcousinvinnie @brian I’m a Dodger fan with family in San Diego - I feel very fortunate to be able to catch games in both Dodger Stadium and Petco Park! They are very different and both have their unique charms.
Petco looks nice to me for sure, it’s on my list to visit.
Wrigley Field in Chicago is in the midst of the city. Old Comisky park was built on the south side in more of a strictly residential area. Of course, change had to occur.
Yes, I wish he'd done a deep dive into Wrigley.
I love Citifield, it's a great place to take in a game. The sight lines are great. Plenty of meeting/family points in the stadium. And the rotunda was "inspired" by ebbets it wasn't meant to be a carbon copy. It's honestly become its own thing. Watching fans come off the 7 train and filter into the rotunda has a certain ambiance to it. The only problem with the field is there is nothing walkable to do near by. Future development is coming to the area (chop shops are gone) so hopefully there is more to do around stadium in future.
I agree, when he said citi field was a “bad example”… everytime I’ve been to citi field I’ve either walked through vibrant communities or it’s been easily accessible due to the way it has been built into public transportation. I love seeing games there
Also I agree IT is Queens . Miami is Miami
The other problem is all the Met fans... yuck
I thought the same thing. Citi field is a pretty good looking stadium and once the area develops a bit it’s going to be a blast to be around
Citi field is a giant blue mess.
Fabulous!! Grew up going to Wrigley Field and will always love that stadium. I'm glad they are bringing stadiums back in the city. That's where they should be.
I can't believe that arguably one of the most historic stadiums (Wrigley) wasn't shown. It never left it's city and has changed very little.
It’s an anomaly. I don’t think he could’ve spoken at length on architecture, but it’s multiple additions/transformations, and even the most recent renovation which was an engineering feat, as well as simply what Wrigley is could have easily been talked about.
I was thinking the same thing, but even more dismayed that he didn't even bother with Dodger Stadium, truly, the first, and now oldest (and best and only one still standing) of the "modern" ballparks, and unique and iconic in its own way, in it's setting, and featuring great mid-century details.
@@miguelfernandez1643 I’d say Angel Stadium is better. It’s around the same age and is a “modern” ballpark.
@@alcostello6114 angel stadium imo sucks. The design is nice but it’s just plopped off the side of the freeway in the middle of a massive parking lot. Would’ve been way cooler if the location was better.
@@nigward3966 Dodger stadium is also smack dab in the middle of a parking lot lol. The food is mediocre and the fans are generally trash
Wish he had included Oracle Park in San Francisco (the stadium that replaced Candlestick Park). It seems exemplary for the 'return to city integration' design. Its in the city proper, has a human scale brick façade, is integrated into the city transit structure, is surrounded by urban amenities, and has views into and out of the stadium. His critique of what it lacks or how it does or does not progress the design of stadiums, would have been interesting.
One criticism of urban integrated stadiums I have, derives from the fact that they are ultimately just performance centers. In fact the more they embrace that, the more integrated, good neighborly, and useful they are to the community. But they also have the problems of all performance centers (convention centers, concert halls, etc). The foot traffic and noise overwhelms the neighborhood, extracting a high price from the locals, and they dominate the regional economy in a way that reduces resiliency and skews urban planning.
i agree! i was really hoping he was gonna talk about it as well. i think oracle park is one of the most unique stadiums with it being next to the water.
Oracle Park does a really good job of blending into the city from street level as well
yeah they dropped the balled on this one
It's a beautiful setting and a great stadium
I think probably the best way that the setting of the stadiun was balanced with the city around it is the Skydome (I refuse to use the other name).
They conciously put it in the downtown core and in a place that was already a tourist attraction (right next to the CN Tower), and they also made it walkable from Toronto's Union Station, so those coming in from the subway, or from out of town via a GO Train can easily get to the game, there's even a covered walkway from the station to the stadium. It being directly downtown means that it doesn't really mess with the neighbourhood, as the residences that surround it are exclusively condos, and there are no massive parking lots around it, they're all underground.
Too bad it's not a particularly good looking building. Still, it's an iconic piece of Toronto's skyline, something I don't think any other stadium really is, outside of the former Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
The amount of shade for CitiField feels personal lol. Ive been there a few times and the scale is actually very awesome, a great tribute to Jackie and Willy, and is connected to the city, very walkable and the subway is right there...
Yeah, I definitely don't get it. It's almost like his own design was refused back when the team was shopping around for blueprints. Terrible.
(0:25) Palace of the Fans
(1:54) Shibe Park
(6:16) Fenway Park
(6:46) Yankee Stadium
(8:21) Cleveland Municipal Stadium
(9:45) Candlestick Park
(11:34) Astrodome
(13:16) Camden Yards
(14:34) Citi Field
(16:50) Loandepot Park
I have no clue what he is speaking about with his descriptions of the details (yeah, I said it), but he clearly knows of what he speaks. But, it is the passion he has for it that I feel, and thus, find myself engrossed by this. Love the 4am TH-cam rabbit hole!
Would love to see one of these focused on the architecture of various art museums in the US.
I love how I'm being taught. How basics, function, style, structure, proportion, material, location and sooooo much more is being offered. And no pretentiousness. A big "thank you" for that. :)
Completely agree!
This is a great video. A little bummed we got no mention of PNC Park but obviously you picked all these to tell an evolutionary story and maybe PNC doesn't fit into that? But it's so beautiful and had a lot of the qualities you mentioned in this video, a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline, in the grid but also separated in a way by bridges. Id live to see a video on that and some other notable parks. Maybe even an entire series going through all of the stadiums.
Would love to see this with really old European football (soccer) stadiums
We've missed you ,Micheal 🤩
Thank God ,your back 🙏🏻
13:31 Regarding the tracks, while the warehouse isn't used as a yard anymore and became abandoned which eventually led to it becoming a part of the ballpark, CSX Transportation (B&O's successor) still uses the facility's lower-level tracks as part of its mainline for its freight trains. It also still functions as a passenger rail station as you can see tracks in this picture on the other side of the warehouse that is served by MARC's Camden Line to DC's Union Station, as well as a stop on the Baltimore Light RailLink.
And it wasn't just Janet Marie Smith who saved the warehouse, it was also Eric Moss. Eric was looking for architecture thesis ideas. He first tried Europe, thought about forts, but decided to return to the States to look for something. While attending a game at Fenway in the late 80s, Eric was fascinated with the Green Monster and its height. Moss decided that for his thesis, he'd design a stadium that was formed by its surroundings. Around this same time, the Orioles were looking for a location for a new ballpark. He visited the city, checked the sites, saw the warehouse and said, "That's my Green Monster". He drew up and built a model and competed with other proposals. It wasn't until the Orioles saw Moss's presentation that they realized they could save it. Despite this, he didn't win, and HOK Sport which originally proposed a generic stadium before changing their design and proposing to keep half the warehouse won and got credit for keeping the whole warehouse instead of Moss
Thank you for sharing this and setting the record straight, never would have known the truth otherwise
Thanks
I seriously love this series. I'd love to see a video on the different types of architecture for Row homes in Philadelphia.
I would be interested too! You should check out a book on row houses called The North Atlantic Cities. It shows how all the cities in the region are pretty much architectural cousins haha
@@treycherie6236 That sounds like a great read. I'll have to check that out. Thank you!
@@treycherie6236 that looks SUPER interesting. I'm going to check that out.
Would be interested in a similar analysis of other stadiums. Soccer, football, arenas…but love typologies in general.
I've only ever attended one baseball game in my life, and am glad it was at Camden Yards. Was sitting in the bleachers but from there, iIt was a relatively beautiful scene in front of me with the contrast of the field in green and the warehouse in the distance in brick red.
Those are the best seats in the house if you ask me. I remember sitting in the very front watching the Mariners when they came to town and talking to Ichiro lol. I could hear their feet in the grass as they ran absolutely amazing
WOW 🤩 I could listen to this guy speak about stadium architecture all day long!!! Awesome video but why did we leave out Wrigley!!!
As a O’s fan from Baltimore, I kno I’m spoiled to have grown up going to games yearly at Oriole Park at Camden Yards! Luckily I’m 39 so I remember goin to games at terrible Memorial Stadium also so I can appreciate how beautiful it is!! It is crazy to think tho that it’s still one of the most beautiful stadiums in sports and will continue to be as long as we take care of it, especially with the O’s starting to win again!!!
Oh c'mon, Memorial Stadium wasn't *that* bad...I say, also as a 39 year old whose memory is pretty shot these days. :P
Thoroughly enjoyed learning the cliffs note’s history of baseball stadiums. I’d love to get this architect’s thoughts on PNC Park in Pittsburgh, a ballpark I would consider to currently be the best in the game.
Wow I could watch you do this for every single park. I would love to see your expanded thoughts on the Rogers Centre, as I am sure everyone else would love to see you do their team's respective parks.
The Rogers Centre, aka Skydome, when built was a virtual skyscraper at 282 feet to the top of it's dome. That's equivalent to a 31 story building. In it's 34 years, the City of Toronto has grown from 3.8 million to 6.4 million and the once-overwhelming kandmark known as the Skydome is now diminished by the hundreds of much taller skyscrapers that now surround the landmark. The Skydome's next-door neighbor, the CN Tower, is still the most prominent landmark, easily visible more than 30 miles away in Western New York.
I would love for you to do a video about the architecture of Broadway theaters and/or movie theaters in America!
I love this series!! Especially the breakdown of architecture in television and movies. It would be amazing to see the history and breakdown of airports, government buildings, museums, universities, places of worship, banks, grocery stores, shopping malls, train stations, Southern California dwellings from Victorian era to end of 1970s, bridges
The success of Citifield has nothing to do with the outside - it has to do with the experience of the fans once inside the stadium during an actual game. You're close to the action and the entire field is open to view almost all the time if you are walking around the stadium to get food etc. The choice to build the stadium outside the city grid was determined by NYC government and beside there is no space in NYC for baseball stadiums, only more luxury apartments. Compared to Shea, Citi is beautiful and effective. We also find it intimate in a way that Shea and Yankee (old and new) never was. The rest of your video was fascinating and enlightening. We very much enjoy your other videos as well.
agreed!
Some fans think that CitiField is just Ebbets Field with more parking.
@@rockvilleraven Then they have no clue what the neighborhood around Ebbets Field was like.
These architectural breakdowns are my favourite
Absolutely love these videos. Keep them coming. Would love a video on mosques and churches and how they’ve evolved into the modern era.
You sir. On behalf of a dedicated Marlins fan, I humbly thank you for giving Marlins park a positive statement! Bravo 👏👏👏👏👏👏.
Citi Field was built as a tribute to Ebbett's Field but it wasn't intended to be a mirror of it. It's also very much in the city grid except that it has outdoor parking lots - but the stadium itself is surrounded by city streets and it is very much in NYC.
Touché! Thank you for a grand presentation. Best video I have seen in many years. Be proud please for your profession. Blessings.
Really wished Dodger Stadium had been included, and not just because it's my home team. The way the stadium was situated, the views it was designed to maximize, the design elements borrowed from Disneyland, are just some reasons why. Heck, it could've been mentioned in the same breath as Candlestick if we're talking about ugly parking lots. At least I got to learn more about Ebbets Field; home plate is still marked by a plaque in Brooklyn.
No kidding. What a BIG omission from this video. Jackie Robinson was mentioned at least twice and there was even a section on Ebbets Field, but no mention of Dodger Stadium at all makes me downvote this video.
Gotta talk about the people who were forced out of their homes for the stadium to be built as well
@@jph4852 Dodger stadium is an ok stadium, but not something like Candem Yards or old Yankee Stadium. Its far away from LA, an ugly parking lot, nothing special, etc...
@@lavarball5742 White Dodger fans and "Doyers" fans that are oblivious to that fact, all say its in the past and that it was the city of LA that did it.
@@fosternyc926 they have the best fans tho that’s for sure
Didn't realise Marlins Park was so well designed, thanks
Camden Yards...the most recent, truly classic baseball stadium. Perfection
Love your series of videos with Mr. Wyetzner. He is a really good teacher for us layman, who haven’t taken a design class in a while. ❤
I would love a series on city center parks... bandstands, statues, fountains, gazebos, hardscape vs softscape, what works and what doesn't. How residents of a city use the space or don't use.
I am glad you started off with Palace of the Fans. I grew up in Pgh and remember Forbes Field. I have a few old postcards of FF and Exhibition Park.
You have reviewed DC and federal buildings, how about a review of state capitols? We have a beautiful Greek style capitol in Colorado, made of regional rose onyx and capped with a gold dome.
The first baseball game I went to was at Cleveland Stadium. It was about 1984 or '85, against the Angels.
Jewel box = has a diamond inside
I love any video with Michael Wyetzner, and I love learning architectural mumbo jumbo like "cantilevered" "crenelations" and "roof".
In Defense of Citi Field (it and Shea combined to be my childhood ballparks, so yes I am biased here), it has made many improvements to give it its own character and life that was initially missing. The walkways with the fan written bricks, the statue of Tom Seaver, the original Home Run Apple, and an increased focus on the Mets’ history as opposed to the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
It doesn’t feel like you’re watching the game surrounded by parking lots, and as a matter of fact you can see the city skyline a number of parts of the ballpark. New York is too congested to be home to an outdoor venue the size of Citi Field or Yankee Stadium. Even it’s suburbs have grown too congested to house the Giants and Jets.
Although I would be interested to see a video talking about the new UBS arena that opened not too far away from Citi Field…
Agreed, UBS would be an interesting take. Beautiful building that had to be fit in a very populated suburb wedged between a parkway and existing houses track
Exactly, there would really be nowhere else to put a baseball stadium anywhere else in the city besides where Citi is now and where Shea was
Outstanding. This is what AD should be about. Never forget what came before all of us.
Citi Field is one of my favorite MLB stadiums but the point about not being part of the urban fabric. However it is connected with the 7 and LIRR
You could do literally every stadium in the world and I'd watch all of them. You could make a whole channel for this. You've already got my sub!
It pains me to say this because I'm a Mets fan but he made great points about Citi Field. Awesome video. Very educational and insightful and I appreciate that he didn't dumb things down
Citi Field looks better on the inside
citifield feels pretty part of the city to me. all the mechanic shops across the street. the subway exit leaves you right in front of the stadium lol.
@@RMSFAM09Right now there are efforts to rebuild that area, call Willets Point and move the chop shops out and create a neighborhood like setting similar to Wrigley and Fenway
@@richardkim9952 I drove through that "neighborhood" where the chop shops are to find free street parking. I couldnt believe that area was in the 5 borughs. The pothole were like creators in the middle of the street. In some parts 4 or 5 feet deep. I dont think the entire area even has running sewage lines either because I saw many a porta potty along side buildings. Its a place to get cheap car parts from wrecked vehicles from shady mechanics. That area really needs to be redeveloped
So many great memories at candlestick park. I miss that stadium.
Cannot believe you made a whole video about baseball stadiums and did not mention Sportsmans Park or Busch Stadium 1 or 2 in St. Louis. The Cardinals are one of the best MLB teams and this is a HUGE baseball town. You couldv'e used any of the three as a good example for one of the types you mentioned.
Glad to see someone else say this. The current stadium is gorgeous and very much utilizes the downtown for a scenic backdrop. By far one of the best stadiums in all of baseball.
I grew up in Southern California. I loved going to Anaheim Stadium in the late 80s and early 90s. It wasn’t very personable, tho. Almost in the business part of Anaheim with warehouses and a freeway nearby. Even Disneyland is quite a ways away. Surrounded by a hot asphalt parking lot, you drove in, watched the game; then drive out.
Twenty years later I got to go to Target Field for the first time. It’s not far from downtown Minneapolis, with parking structures and public transportation right next door. There’s also clubs and restaurants nearby. The city is very personable. It’s always a great experience going to a Twins game, with the exception of some chilly weather for some of those early April games (like when the Dodgers came to two this year).
I’d love to hear your insight and knowledge on past and present NFL stadiums and possible even some that were proposed but never came to be.
I’d love to hear his thoughts on SoFi Stadium. That place is something else!
There is no uniqueness in fatball stadiums
@@barrycream2139 I would have to strongly disagree. Stadiums like Sofi stadium, Metlife stadium, lucas oil stadium, mercedez stadium in Atlanta, Levi stadium, and the superdome all have their fair share of innovations and styles.
I LOVE these videos! Michael: thank you for sharing these
Images, and your intellect, with us. Much appreciated!
Orioles park at Camden yards REMAINS the best MLB stadium in the country in my opinion. It’s right down town. It’s timeless, it’s a rallying point for the citizens there and they had to replace a very iconic former stadium- memorial stadium. There’s a plaza to the south of Camden yards that still has the original lettering from memorial stadium now on a granite wall, and that’s a common feature at the park there are several separate entrance points to the complex that all have different intents
I appreciate the comment about ball parks built outside of the city that essentially cut themselves off from the daily life of the community at large which otherwise and arguably connects the people to a lifestyle related to the game.
I would love to see college football stadiums. Yale Bowl, Franklin Field, so much history.
I like this. An honest-to-goodness real architect discussing the architecture of the great ballparks. Nice to hear from an actual architect's expert point of view.
Didn't expect Loan Depot Park to be considered so well-designed but here we are
Sporting arenas and stadiums should have its own series. Extremely fascinating breakdown and history of some of the most iconic sporting venues!
I would like to see a feature on the evolution of the architectural design of public places from a safety standpoint. Things like fire safety, crowd safety, structural safety, and how that has changed in architecture over time. Maybe you could pick some interesting examples and how they led to safety features we see in public buildings all around us now.
What a splendid video! Don’t often wish YT videos were longer and more detailed/extensive. Thank you.
As a Chicago native, it hurts that Wriggly was only briefly mentioned and didn’t have its coverage in the video like it’s a staple baseball stadium in the Midwest.
Wrigley & Fenway got the same amount of time. No mentions of Dodgers stadium either.
@@lovesgucci1 Dodger Stadium bulldozed a Hispanic community to be built and replaced it with a sea of concrete 7 times as large as the stadium sooo
Camden yard and Coors field are my favorite newer ball parks. Nostalgic yet modern
I can’t get enough of Michael! He’s such a good presenter. The only way this video could have been better if he had mentioned how municipal funded stadiums almost always end up being net negative for the tax payers, so stadiums should be built using private funds.
Cleveland Municipal Stadium and Candlestick Park are within the City Limits. Also the railroad tracks behind Camden Yards is very much an active railway for the MARC trains to Washington DC and the Baltimore Light Rail system.
I may be biased but I'd love to hear your take on the evolution of Busch Stadium I, II, and III
In regards to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, it wasn't a return to the city for Baltimore but a relocation. The previous stadium, Memorial Stadium, was well within the city limits at 33rd St. It was a multi-use structure and home to the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Colts so it wasn't great as either a baseball or football stadium. Architecturally it wasn't much either except for the front wall with it's commemoration to WW1 & WW2 veterans but it was home. Incidentally, the city commissioned a custom font for the quote and a part of it was saved and installed at Canden yards.
"Time will not dim the glory of their deeds."
I was fortunate enough to go to the first game at Camden Yards (thanks to my brother who bought season tickets). The design was a revelation and you could tell that everyone in attendance realized how special it was. The whole day was one big celebration. Interestingly, the stadium that Camden Yards replaced was also “of the city.” Memorial Stadium was smack dab in a Baltimore neighborhood but wasn’t next to the Inner Harbor like Camden Yards.
I’d love to see a series on lighthouses!
I think Target Field is a great example of the "return to the city" theme as well. It has the smallest footprint of any current MLB stadium and yet seats 40k in downtown Minneapolis. It also incorporated Target Center next door by constructing a Plaza to connect the two making a great place to gather before and after games.
Very surprised there was no mention of Wrigley field in the video or a more in depth look at Fenway Park
Fascinating. It’s nice to hear an expert pontificating in his area of expertise.
As a baseball fan I loved this & I'd like to see your take on all MLB stadiums
I could listen to this guy explain architecture for hours.
Would love to see something on art museums. Thanks.
Really appreciate the love for LoanDepot Park. I love going to games there but I couldn’t really put my finger on why, but you nailed it.
Thanks for your analysis of public buildings. Have you looked at airports?
What a wonderful way to start the morning!! Fantastic story of Ballparks (aka Stadiums). Worth the time and added much to my knowledge of Baseball as a part of American history.
As someone from New England, I find the difference between an experience of going to a Red Sox game and a Patriots game is a vastly different experience. Fenway Park being in the middle of Boston, can't find parking, but have the charm of being in the city. Where Gillette Stadium in Foxborough has the "surrounded by parking lots" feel that was talked about in the video. Both have good and bad to them, but they are so very different
@Barry Obama The only good thing about it is that you can get excellent seats for $25!
The framed view of city in the Miami stadium is just glorious. Architecture at its best.
He nailed on Citi field! I was there during the inaugural year when it opened. Went to a few games for a sweet spot. I can say center field during summer day into night game. You get that cold draft hitting you from behind which sucks with the wind current. It’s much better than shea all concrete and gosh the bathrooms lol. I do miss that ramp and the neon cuts 💚
I'm so glad you brought up marlins park! That stadium is beautiful and I've been there a few times. Such a unique baseball stadium!
I've never seen anyone defend Marlins Park before
As a lifelong sports fan, I loved Michael Wyetzner’s presentation of great baseball parks. My only wish is that he included Dodger Stadium & Wrigley Field somehow. But other than that, I loved this video. I would definitely love to see either a Part 2 about baseball parks, or even a vid about other pro sports stadiums (NBA, NFL & NHL).
How exactly were they supposed to make Citi Field part of the city grid when it's located in the middle of giant Flushing Meadows Park?
What does Citifield do right? You can actually watch balls and strikes from ANY seat in the stadium, or walk around and still watch the game.
The last two ballparks I think got the messaging backwards. Citi Field is meant to appeal and be accessible to Long Island and also NYC, so it has public transportation access AND parking. LoanDepot Park is NOT “in the city” by the way any non-Little Havana resident would refer to the City of Miami. It’s literally smack in the middle of a suburb of Miami, a few miles to the west of “the city”. Plus, its location fails to capitalize on the location of half of the team’s fanbase (or potential fanbase), which is in the Fort Lauderdale / Boca Raton / West Palm Beach corridor. No one that lives or works in those areas would dare fight rush hour traffic to get to a 7:05pm ballgame on a Wednesday night.
The reason Citi Field got its location right is the same reason LoanDepot Park got it wrong: The majority of the team’s fanbase is NOT located within city limits of the major city the team represents.
This “expert” didn’t do his research
dont hate....appreciate
I’d love to see a video like this on college football stadiums. So much history and tradition behind these iconic stadiums!
We love you Michael! #bringmikeback
Another great video. I’d love to see a series on libraries and archives.
Absolutely wonderful Michael, I love seeing an architects take on these important public spaces. I would love to see a deep dive into the stadiums around NYC going back to before the professional era, the history of the game has deep roots in NYC, roots that have spread all the way to California...
a “City Series” would be cool - architects break down the coolest architectural feats / buildings / history about their cities and why it’s unique to them. Would love to see how places evolve over time and how cities differ from each other. Architecture is such a beautiful art form!
I now have a deeper appreciation for the structure and personality of these ballparks. Thank you. I never really noticed just how “Miami” that Loan Depot park is.