By TVA Architects is working with Populous, based in Kansas City, Missouri, to design a potential Major League Baseball stadium on the west bank of the Willamette River on the Port of Portland’s Terminal 2 property.
Shortly after Portland Diamond Project’s announcement Thursday of pursuit of a deal for the terminal property, the DJC spoke with TVA Architects co-founder and principal Bob Thompson about the design.
The design represents a break from the retro baseball stadiums that began with Camden Yards in Baltimore in 1992. Thompson said the ballpark design is intentionally contemporary.
The design represents a break from the retro baseball stadiums that began with Camden Yards in Baltimore in 1992. Thompson said the ballpark design is intentionally contemporary.
“The client’s goal has been to create a very innovative, cutting-edge, leading ballpark that sets a new standard in ballpark design,” he said.
The stadium is oriented to take advantage of downtown views. Unlike at San Francisco’s AT&T Park, batters will not be able to hit home runs into the water.
“What we’re trying to do is take maximum advantage of the view to downtown Portland and looking up the river to the Fremont Bridge,” Thompson said. “It really is working very well in terms of orienting the seating bowl so it maximizes views back to downtown, the skyline.”
The site’s width from Front Avenue to the river also constrains the orientation, Thompson said.
The stadium design features a retractable roof. The roof is a fixed single shell with a structural steel frame and a translucent ETFE membrane. It would completely retract behind home plate on the north side of the stadium, Thompson said.
TVA and Populous bring different expertise to the project, Thompson said. Populous specializes in large stadiums. TVA has decades of experience in Portland, and Thompson led the design of Matthew Knight Arena – the University of Oregon basketball venue.
“We’re partnering together on this project,” Thompson said. “Populous is bringing a wealth of knowledge on aspects of ballpark design. TVA is focused on bringing the local architecture language and look and feel of the ballpark to Portland.”
The stadium will integrate with Northwest Portland, he said.
“We’re looking at the ballpark as a catalyst for a development of a whole new district in Portland, a district that focuses on sports and entertainment and that connects people to the river,” he said.
Housing remains part of the larger plan, Thompson said.
As far as the gondola evident in renderings, maybe it shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
“Let’s not talk about the gondola,” Thompson said.