Abstract:
It has become increasingly evident to most people that have an interest in baseball that professional baseball belongs in the cities, and that baseball parks should be built on sites located in a traditional urban network of streets and small blocks. Such ballparks are better for the game of baseball itself. Ballparks also prove to be better for cities because they both permit and promote a variety of adjacent activities (residential, commercial, civic, religious, recreational, etc.) that make cities desirable places in which to both live and work. My exploration and investigation was directed toward the designing of a Minor League Baseball Park for Battle Creek, Michigan. The definition of this project is aimed at capturing the spirit, excitement, and unity of Battle Creeks' support for there minor league baseball club and to direct that energy into a stadium architecture that promotes community spirit, pride, fan-player interaction, and provides a quality family atmosphere. The design theme will deal with the park as more than just the game of baseball, but it will want to express the history of baseball, Battle Creek, and city spirit. The goal is to create a ballpark that encompasses the presence of the individual and embellish the spirit of baseball, provoking smells, moods, memories, and dreams of baseball traditions and triumphs.