2 - Modern Steel Construction

STEEL NEWS
New Stadium Returns
To Baseball's Roots
When the Maryland Stadium
Authority began discussing
plans for a new home for the Baltimore
Orioles they made one thing
abundantly clear: They didn't want
a modern concrete hulk.
"The stadium authority and the
Orioles I who are owned by Eli S.
Jacobs, who has had a long interest
in architecturel wanted a stadium
built the way a stadium should be
built. They wanted the character of
the old-time ballparks, such as
Wrigley Field in Chicago," explained
Jo eph Spear, AlA, a senior
vice president with Hellmuth
Obata & Kassabaum (HOK), the SI.
louis-based design firm with an international
reputation for sports
facility design.
Traditional Design
"We always felt a steel frame
would be more in keeping with the
aesthetic scheme the stadium
authority wanted than would a
concrete scheme:' Spear continued.
"Our only hesitancy was that initially
it appeared that concrete
would be less expensive." Fortunately,
that wasn't the case, explained
Bob Alewood, vice president
of business affairs with the
Baltimore Orioles. "Is there a cost
premium? A lot of research indicated
that in a worst case scenario
there would be a small premium,
but there might also be a small
savings:' he said. "But when you
consider the aesthetic factors, there
was no comparison."
Even the architectural critics approve
of the design. As Paul
Goldberger of the Nl!w York Tillles
stated: "The Baltimore stadium, to
Continued on page 10
8 I Modern Stt'el Construction March-April 1990
Tlte /lew home of tile Baltimore Oriole's (top) will be a steel siadium ill the traditio" of
Fellway Park, Ebbets Field, Tiger Stadillm, alld Wrigley Field. Pilot Field (above), ill
Buffalo, N. Y. , is a recelltly cOllstructed steel stadium desiglled I,y IIOK, tile SlIme firm
rt>spotlsible for tile desigll of the tlew Baltimore stadium.
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