THE PARK

BUILT FLUSH ON THE BANKS

OF THE ALLEGHENY RIVER
P
NC Park debuted 15 years ago this spring, and while that
may not seem like a major-league accomplishment, con-
sider this: When Three Rivers Stadium turned 15, it was WITH VAST VISTAS OF
halfway to being imploded. THE GLISTENING STEEL CITY
The Pirates current home couldnt seem further from such a
dusty fate. PNC Park still is thought to be one of the best ballparks SKYLINE BEYOND RIGHT
in America, even though nine stadiums have opened since the FIELD AND GLEAMING
North Shore parks first regular season game April 9, 2001.
While all three of Pittsburghs professional stadiums opened YELLOW ROBERTO
within a decade, PNC Park seems to soar above the rest, a symbol of CLEMENTE BRIDGE
the citys rise and a source of pride for its baseball fans.
Architecture firm HOK (now called Populous), which designed SILHOUETTED IN CENTER
PNC Park, drew upon Pittsburghs natural resources and manmade FIELD, THE PIRATES HOME
features, particularly in orienting the ballpark toward its signature
view of the citys skyline and bridges. COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
We learned to live in the city and understand the market, said MORE PERFECTLY CONCEIVED
Earl Santee, the projects lead architect for the Kansas City, Mo.-
based firm. We went to Primanti Bros., we went to the North Shore, AND EXECUTED. A TOWN
we went everywhere, and we just lived that life. ON A BUDGET CREATED
The designers also took hints from the city, particularly beloved
Forbes Field, the predecessor to Three Rivers Stadium. They also A BASEBALL MASTERPIECE.
envisioned the North Shore and the classic ballpark as lively exten- Thomas Boswell, Washington Post sports colum-
sions of Downtown via the Roberto Clemente Bridge, a fate that has nist, praised PNC Park on July 13, 2006, two days
borne out. after Pittsburgh was host to the MLB All-Star Game

PHOTO: JULIA RENDLEMAN PITTSBURGH PIRATES 2016 49