Oakland A's hire four firms to lead new ballpark design process

The Oakland Athletics have hired four world-class design firms - Sasaki, Snøhetta, Studio T-Square, and HOK - to lead the design process for the club's new Oakland ballpark at the Peralta site.
 
Sasaki, Snøhetta, and Oakland-based Studio T-Square will lead master planning and urban design efforts, and will assist the A's in a robust community engagement process. HOK and Snøhetta will collaborate on design of the new ballpark and its interface with the master plan. 
 
"Our goal is to create the best ballpark experience for our fans, players, and community. It is critical for our ballpark to truly integrate into the fabric of Oakland," said Oakland A's President Dave Kaval. "All of the firms are industry leaders and have reputations for leading award-winning transformative and cutting-edge projects. We look forward to working with them to develop a project that works for our entire community."
 
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the A's, the City of Oakland, and its residents to create a vibrant, urban ballpark district. The ballpark itself is just one part of the puzzle - we're also eager to find ways for this investment to catalyze other opportunities that support the goals of the existing community, in a way that is totally unique and authentic to Oakland," says James Miner, AICP, Sasaki principal in charge on the project. "A key component to making this project a success will be an active and meaningful engagement with A's fans as well as with the broad and incredibly diverse community of Oakland. We want the ballpark to be a great place not only for baseball, but also for the community and the environment."
 
"With its new home closer to downtown Oakland, the project will re-invigorate the relationship between the A's and the city as a new kind of ballpark that acts as a center for sport, wellness and culture. We look forward to working with the team and the residents of Oakland to create a vision that will not only continue the rich legacy of the A's, but also strengthen communities, foster healthy habitat, and build a vibrant new cultural heart for the city," says Craig Dykers, Snøhetta partner-in-charge.  
 
"Studio T-Square is thrilled to be the Oakland design partner. As part of this community, we are excited about the Oakland A's vision and commitment to create a world-class ballpark and development that will bring further revitalization to downtown Oakland," said Chek Tang, president of Studio T-Square. "Our design mission is simply: to bring the A's motto 'Rooted in Oakland' to reality - by featuring the history, legacy and winning tradition of our beloved Oakland A's and proudly celebrate and display the cultural diversity, community pride, true grit and natural beauty of Oakland."
 
"The new ballpark is a transformational opportunity for the city of Oakland and the A's to create an architectural icon and completely reimagine the fan experience," said Brad Schrock, AIA, regional leader of Sports + Recreation + Entertainment at HOK. "We're looking forward to collaborating with the A's and our design partners to create an imaginative, amenity-rich and enduring community asset."
Sasaki is an award-winning global design firm based out of Boston, MA. The multidisciplinary firm has led notable projects worldwide, including the recently completed Chicago Riverwalk, the Beijing Olympic Green, and Progressive Field (home of the Cleveland Indians). Sasaki also has experience in the Bay Area working on San Francisco's Presidio Park and the 12th Avenue Corridor and Lake Merritt Amphitheater. More recently, the firm is designing a waterfront park for the Port of Los Angeles and mixed-use waterfront district at Zidell Yards in Portland, OR.  
 
For nearly 30 years, Snøhetta has designed some of the world's most notable public and cultural projects. Snøhetta kick-started its career in 1989 with the competition winning entry for the Alexandria Library in Egypt. This was later followed by the commission for the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo, the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center, Times Square's new pedestrian plaza in New York City, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Expansion in California, among many others. Since its inception, the practice has maintained its original trans-disciplinary approach, integrating architectural, landscape, interior and brand design in its projects.
 
Studio T-Square is a full-service architecture, master planning and urban design firm based in Oakland, Calif. The practice is informed by their global perspective; their value is deeply rooted in the understanding of the regional demands, local context and community needs in achieving sustainable development and smart growth. Since its founding, the Studio T-Square has been a part of the revitalization of Oakland's downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. As a truly local enterprise rooted in Oakland, the firm is dedicated to the long-term growth and renaissance of the Oakland community.
 
HOK's Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice is a leader in the design of ballparks, stadiums, arenas, training facilities and recreation centers. The group plans and designs sports complexes that are the centerpieces of successful, vibrant communities. Current and recent projects include Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the renovation of Philips Arena in Atlanta; a new Triple-A ballpark for the Las Vegas 51s in Summerlin, Nevada; Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California; the revitalization of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami; Little Caesars Arena in Detroit; Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta; FC Barcelona's New Palau Blaugrana arena in Barcelona, Spain; the AT&T Center renovation in San Antonio; and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Through a network of 23 offices worldwide, HOK provides design excellence and innovation to create places that enrich people's lives and help clients succeed. Design Intelligence consistently ranks HOK as a leader in sustainable, high-performance design and technology innovation.