Diablos Stadium

After 16 championships and more than 70 years of history as the leading baseball team of Mexico, Los Diablos Rojos del Mexico will have a new home stadium, with an impressive 13,000+ covered seats and 3,000 berm seating, scheduled to open February 2017. Mr. Alfredo Harp Helú has commissioned Alonso de Garay (ADG) and Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido (Chief Designer, JAHN) to design the new stadium that will be located within the sports complex of Magdalena Mixhuca.

Estadio Diablos will have a monumental lightweight roof structure resembling Diablos’ trident, which drastically contrasts the predictable roof geometry that has historically defined baseball stadiums around the world. Indicative of the sky, the roof design is sharp, translucent, luminous and dynamic. Composed of lightweight steel wrapped in PTFE textile material, the roof will become an iconic symbol for the great City of Mexico.

In contrast to the lightness of the roof, the base level is ceremonial and draws from many cultural cues. Designed using local materials from the Valley of Mexico and inspired by the pre-Hispanic era, the plaza level design has specific references to the court of the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame and emphasizes the connection between the earth and the heavens. “Our guiding concept was to establish the duality between prehispanic Mexico through the base and contemporary Mexico through the roof of Estadio Diablos which blends tradition, innovation, austerity and technology into one space,” stated Alonso de Garay of ADG. The procession from Estadio Diablos’ grounds into the ballpark alludes to climbing an ancient Mesoamerican temple. As the spectator approaches the grand entrance, they are confronted with six truncated pyramids cladded in indigenous volcanic rock. Once inside, a ring connects all the seats and functions into one experience with unobstructed views to the field.

The key goal for Estadio Diablos is the vision of a great public space, where the open space is as important as the built space, which is a prominent architectural feature within Mexican culture. “Successful spaces must encourage strong social engagement, incorporate Mexican traditions and respect existing natural conditions.” stated Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido, Chief Designer of JAHN. Therefore the new stadium is seamlessly integrated to four major public spaces with very distinct characteristics. The CIVIC PLAZA is the point of entry located to the north and signifies the great urban vestibule, where the procession into the stadium begins. The PUBLIC PLAZA is located at the southeast corner and designed to be accessible throughout the year. It will support the local community by providing an integrated approach to retail and cultural programs, such as the Hall of Fame of Diablos. The GREAT BERM is where the synthesis of Mexican tradition and spirit of baseball coexist, hosting 3000 spectators. The GARDENS, which are located at the southwest corner, preserve and foster the existing local plant species and provide seamless integration into the surrounding context.

Estadio Diablos aims to reduce energy consumption, waste and emissions. The design strives for a Net-Zero building using passive systems with minimal HVAC integration and active water reduction systems. This goal of sustainable design including minimal ecological impact sets a strong precedent for a new standard of building within Mexico. Gonzalez-Pulido continues, “Estadio Diablos is more than a stadium, it is Mexico’s ballpark. Our challenge was to make the stadium a social and cultural center. As Estadio Azteca is the home of Mexican football, we strive for Estadio Diablos to become the home of Mexican baseball. Estadio Diablos is inclusive. It is a gift from Los Diablos Rojos to the Mexican people.” The strategic alliance between Alonso de Garay and Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido provides a strategic balance between Mexican culture and advanced technology within the new stadium design.

BATTER UP. . . MEXICAN-BORN ARCHITECT, FRANCISCO GONZALEZ PULIDO REINVENTS THE SPORTS FACILITY PARADIGM WITH A CUTTING-EDGE STADIUM

Already Iconic: Mexico's Largest Baseball Stadium Reinvigorates the Sport in Mexico and Fosters a Sense of Community and Culture

Francisco Gonzalez Pulido , head of Chicago-based international firm, FGP Atelier , celebrates the unveiling of his latest monumental project, the Diablos Rojos Stadium in Mexico City. The Mexican-born architect was tapped by baseball aficionado, team owner, and renowned Mexican-businessman and philanthropist, Alfredo Harp Hel ú , to design Mexico’s premier baseball stadium. The architectural and theoretical undertaking entailed creating a cutting-edge structure that not only reflected the country’s culture and history, but also integrated the surrounding community while simultaneously serving as the home base for Los Diablos Rojos, or The Red Devils baseball team.

“Estadio Diablos is much more than a stadium, it is Mexico’s ballpark,” Gonzalez Pulido says. “We challenged ourselves to create a stadium that would serve as a social and cultural center for years to come. As Estadio Azteca is the home of Mexican football, we intend for Estadio Diablos to become the home of Mexican baseball, and with it to offer inclusivity, encourage social engagement, and incorporate Mexican traditions. It was designed from the start to serve as one of Mexico’s landmark institutions and to re-instill a sense of excitement and passion into the sport of baseball.”

Located adjacent to the Formula One Race Track in the sports complex of Magdalena Mixhuca—a former Olympic Park that continues to serve as a venue for cultural, social, religious, and sporting events—Gonzalez Pulido worked with local architect Alonso de Garay of Taller ADG to establish a cohesive flow. Upon entering the stadium, visitors are confronted with six truncated pyramid-like forms clad in indigenous volcanic rock which form the base of the structure while also providing outdoor terraces at the higher level away from the arena that include food stalls and an area for socializing. The shape and materiality of the forms, which recall ancient Mesoamerican temples, serve as a reminder of the country’s rich history and also perfectly marry ceremony—by providing an awe-inspiring entrance—and innovation.

Overhead, the roof forms one of the most impressive aspects of the Mexico City’s largest stadiums to date. Aptly-shaped in the form of a devil’s tail to reference the home team’s devilish name, the monumental yet lightweight structure is composed of steel wrapped in PTFE textile material that plays with the light. The largest crane in the world was employed to lift the technologically-advanced massive truss structures into position while digital scanning techniques secured precise alignment. It was also designed to collect rainwater to prevent waste. The actual stadium itself exhibits the feel of an open-air amphitheater because of the ‘floating’ trident spear roof and features an impressive 11,500 covered seats and 8,500 additional seats in the outfield—all designed to offer fantastic views of the ball game. Every aspect of the design was carefully thought out to encourage social interaction within and outside of the stadium.

To enhance the ultimate goal of creating a stadium for everyone, Gonzalez Pulido had to take into account the affluent crowd drawn by the nearby racetrack events and sporting events in general, as well as the lower-income community surrounding the facility. VIP level box rooms overlooking the field are incorporated and a certain amount of low-cost seating reserved specifically for the surrounding community were implemented. In addition, the pyramid-like structures were designed to integrate a public plaza circling the stadium. The plaza has various objectives—it is meant to be used year-round as a market for the community members to sell their goods—thus expanding their ability to create a sustainable source of income—and to bring a diverse group of people together.

Estadio Diablos showcases a new paradigm of architecture for sports facilities that perfectly melds culture, technology, and provides various different avenues and arenas for social engagement—a factor that is a large part of Mexican culture.