Nearly a decade after its grand opening, Florida's first and only domed field-sport stadium will finally witness major league baseball in 1998. Built to attract a major league team (and almost successful in luring the White Sox, Mariners, and Giants) it seemed destined to play the role of the park that other teams threatened to move to until they could strike an acceptable stadium deal at home. But finally, after three names, eight years of tractor pulls, a taste of hockey, and extensive completion work and additions, it is now the home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
With no major tenant in hand, a desire for some economy originally dictated a spartan, big-box approach for this 48,000 seat structure. But once a big-league ballclub finally signed on, the resultant remodeling sought to break up and scale down the monolithic exterior and give more character to the interior spaces. The roof is a high-tech translucent membrane supported by
an ingenious continuous tension/discontinuous compression structural system somewhat analogous to a bicycle wheel. The home plate end is higher than the center field end, allowing more rows of upper deck seats in the preferred viewing locations, and reducing the volume of air needed to be cooled.
While the building is a perfect circle on the outside, the seating pattern is squarish. And although the basic stadium plan is symmetrical, the outfield fences have been made somewhat irregular and asymmetrical, the contrast between the two geometries illustrating the sea-change in ballpark design philosophy that occurred between the period of original planning and the time of remodeling.
Will this park favor hitters or pitchers? Only time will tell, but it seems safe to predict that balls will not carry as well in this air-conditioned space as they do in Miami's outdoor steam bath conditions. (JP)
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