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 Gwinnett County’s new state-of-the-art venue, Gwinnett Stadium, was opened to the public on Friday, April 17 when the Gwinnett Braves took on the Norfolk Tides, for the opening of a 10-game home stand.
Barton Malow Company and HKS Architects, Inc. served as the design/build team for the one-of-a-kind Triple-A stadium. “Today marks a memorable occasion for the Braves organization and Gwinnett County,” said Braves President John Schuerholz at the time. “This world-class ballpark is an impressive place for baseball fans to experience the game and has made possible the return of one of the classic Triple-A franchises to its roots in Georgia.” The ballpark provides an intimate setting with a total capacity of 10,427 seats. It will ultimately serve as the focal point of a mixed-use entertainment district. “Building Gwinnett Stadium is an example of true teamwork,” states Len Moser, vice president of national sports, Barton Malow. “Given the condensed schedule of just over a year, the only viable delivery option was design/build. This required Barton Malow, HKS, Gwinnett County and the Braves to all buy in to the goals of the project from the start and work collaboratively throughout its duration.” HKS Architects, with offices in Atlanta, has completed more than $1 billion in construction in the area over the past 20 years. The firm’s minor league projects include Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Ark.and Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. Additional HKS minor league projects include The Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas; Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas; and Stockton Ports Ballpark in Stockton, Calif. HKS Architects designed the distinctive stadium by extensively researching the history and culture of baseball in the region. According to Fred Ortiz, AIA, senior designer with HKS, the stadium’s unique design reflects a historic retrospective combined with a keen sensitivity to the varied topography and vernacular aesthetic of the local area. “As the first Triple-A baseball stadium in Georgia, the venue incorporates numerous exceptional characteristics that position it as a dynamic and memorable destination for all fans.” Gwinnett Stadium Features: - The sports and entertainment destination serves as the nucleus/central point for a future mixed-use entertainment district.
- The stadium’s design is inspired by historic and memorable baseball parks in the region.
- Environmental responsibility and sustainability are inherent in the design and construction. HKS integrated recycled content materials throughout the facility, incorporated reclaimed water in all restrooms and installed a unique lighting energy management system. Barton Malow recycled over 90 percent of the construction waste during the project.
- As part of future development, the stadium will include two restaurants overlooking the outfield.
- A seating bowl with 7,777 fixed seats and a total capacity of 10,427 seats fosters an intimate setting for viewing games.
- The stadium’s seating bowl concourse and surrounding spaces are designed to blend with the sloping topography of the site.
- The stadium features 22 luxury suites, a super suite with extra space and two party decks located on the upper level.
- Lawn seating for 2,500 on the berm is located behind the left-center and right-center field walls.
- A distinctive feature of the stadium is its 360 degree concourse which enables fans to view the games from all angles.The dynamic roof canopies cover 30 percent of all the fixed seating.
- The exterior façade of the stadium is composed of materials that were regionally manufactured including brick, glass and cast-in-place concrete.
- The baseball park has an outdoor area designed to accommodate a variety of family activities.
Below are images of the new ballpark, courtesy of HKS Architecture (CLICK TO SEE IN LARGER VIEW) Source: HKS Architecture
 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
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