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- Cole Shoemaker
- Coors Field (1995), Colorado Rockies: 8.5/10. Overall Ballpark Ranking: 7/27. After Camden Yards kicked off the retro era in 1992, you saw subsequent retro ballparks splinter into two distinct strands from an exterior architectural standpoint, generally speaking
- Petco Park (2004), San Diego Padres: 8.5/10. Overall Ballpark Ranking: 1/27. Despite some esoteric quibbles from an outside architectural perspective—as I said in the introduction, if you actually compare these ballparks to the best historic civic monuments, even some of the best fall short—Petco Park should be commended for being one of the only ballparks in baseball to constitute true “capital A” architecture.
- Globe Life Park in Arlington (1994), Texas Rangers: 8.5/10. Overall Ballpark Ranking: 19(t)/27. Globe Life Park in Arlington is an outlier at the top of our list, because it possesses that undesirable “faux-retro urban park in a suburban parking lot” sensibility, where the retro architecture and old-fashion treatment are not crafted around an urban or neighborhood context.
- Fenway Park (1912), Boston Red Sox: N/A. Overall Ballpark Ranking: N/A. For a city whose architectural legacy has always been dedicated to preservation, never content to destroy the past for the newest fad like New York, it is fitting that Boston has Major League Baseball’s oldest ballpark.
- Cole Shoemaker
- First Wave of Retro-Modern/Classic Ballparks: “Authenticity of the Retro Movement” (1992-1996) While parks throughout the new millennium tried to copy Camden Yards, few were able to succeed because Camden was so architecturally original and contextually based.
- Second Wave of Retro-Modern/Classic Ballparks: “Retro Gone to Far” (1997-2004) During this period, owners felt pressure to distinguish their new pads: the novelty of just being “retro” wasn’t enough.
- Third Wave of Retro-Modern/Classic Ballparks: “The Backlash” and “We’re out of Ideas!” (2006-2011) Recently, we’ve seen ballparks deviate from the busy look with gimmicks that muddle the overall design.
Oct 15, 2019 · For Paul Goldberger, Hon. AIA, the Pulitzer Prize–winning architecture critic and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, the ballpark is a compelling lens for these larger themes, “an indicator not only of our architectural taste, but also of our attitudes towards cities and community, our notions of public space, and our changing views about the nature of place.”
- Tropicana Field. Tropicana Field, the sole fixed dome MLB stadium, is uniquely positioned in baseball history. This indoor stadium, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, was a pioneering effort in dome technology when it opened in 1990.
- Globe Life Field. Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, exemplifies the latest advancements among MLB stadiums with retractable roofs. This state-of-the-art facility caters to the Texas Rangers and addresses the region's extreme weather challenges.
- LoanDepot Park. LoanDepot Park, situated in the humid and sunny climes of Miami, Florida, stands out among MLB stadiums with retractable roofs. This modern stadium, which opened in 2012 for the Miami Marlins, features a roof mechanism that adeptly manages Florida's subtropical weather.
- American Family Field. American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, renowned for its fan-shaped retractable roof, is a highlight among indoor MLB stadiums.
Feb 29, 2016 · Examining the Criticism By: Cole Shoemaker Written in 2011 [Editor’s Note: Click here for a full analysis of all MLB ballpark exterior architecture] In recent years, it has become popular amongst ballpark aficionados, fans, and architectural critics to bash HOK (Populous) and some of the new retro ballparks, as the style has become more blasé. […]
- Cole Shoemaker
Feb 18, 2024 · This iconic ballpark, officially known as Oriole Park at Camden Yards, opened its gates in 1992 and immediately redefined the architectural and cultural landscape of modern baseball parks. This article delves into the history, design, impact, and legacy of Camden Yards, a true jewel in the crown of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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May 22, 2019 · Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Ballpark draws an irrefutable link between the evolution of baseball park design and America’s shifting attitudes towards architecture and urbanism. But rather than treat every baseball park as worthy of study, Goldberger provides a handful of examples to arrive at a simple yet compelling thesis: “In the ballpark,” he writes, “the two sides of the American ...
