University of Michigan — Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex Renovation and Expansion
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Year in Showcase: 2009
Project Description
The University of Michigan baseball and softball teams both began their winning 2008 seasons playing in the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex. Two stadiums, unified in design and located adjacent to one another, anchor and energize the complex, while new clubhouses and training facilities provide support for the programs’ success.
Each stadium’s exterior takes its cues from the athletic campus’s interpretation of the collegiate gothic style. The gabled towers that define the baseball stadium’s entry stair towers are echoed at each end of the softball hitting facility. A curved, two-story facade adds scale behind the softball grandstand, and a dramatic steel truss crowns the exterior. Finishes of stone, brick and metal panels create continuity within the complex and unite it with the nearby arena and academic buildings.
Located along the eastern edge of the complex, a new clubhouse accommodates locker rooms, training facilities and equipment storage. The clubhouse connects directly to a new indoor hitting facility with three cages.
Project Details
Architect of Record: Populous; Kansas City, Mo.
Seating Capacity: 2,500 (baseball), 1,250 (softball)
Construction Cost: $14.5 million
Occupancy: February 2008
Vendors
Arena Seating:
Hussey Seating Co.
Bleachers/Grandstands:
Southern Bleacher Co.
Wall Padding:
C & H Baseball
