On Thursday, Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman stood inside Populous' global headquarters, overlooking a Kansas City skyline that several people gathered alongside him had helped shape.
Just a few blocks away was the Crown Center site where the Royals plan to build their new ballpark, with Kansas City-based Populous leading the design.
“We could have searched the world over for the leading sports architecture firm in the world, but it's right here in Kansas City,” Sherman said. “We selected Populous because we wanted the best design, the best fan experience, and the best pedestrian experience in Major League Baseball.”
The Royals and Populous unveiled six new renderings and deeper insights into the Royals' new downtown ballpark in the heart of Kansas City.
Populous, the global design firm and company behind some of the world’s most recognizable sports and entertainment venues, is the architect of record and has a decades-long relationship with the Royals.
The Crown Center site connects the Royals to an established downtown destination, provides the scale to build a true neighborhood around baseball and brings Hallmark alongside the Royals as a generational, Kansas City-born partner.
For Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, the partnership represents an opportunity to create jobs and contribute to the city's development.
“The marriage of the Royals and Populous with Kansas City, with all of our construction teams, our labor unions and beyond is what this is all about: jobs for Kansas Citians, new opportunities for Kansas City, and a Kansas City that is programmed for the future,” Lucas said.
“We think of Populous as our hometown design team, but they are also the world's leader in sports architecture,” Royals president of real estate and development Brooks Sherman said. “Kansas City and Royals fans deserve the best, and we're proud to help provide it.”
Designed to create one of the most intimate experiences in Major League Baseball, the approximately 34,000-seat, open-air ballpark will bring fans closer to the field while connecting the game to downtown Kansas City and the surrounding community.
The new ballpark is distinctly Kansas City, drawing inspiration from the city’s character, landscape and architectural heritage. Fitting comfortably within the existing limestone bluff, its exterior architecture embraces elements that have defined Kansas City’s landmarks for decades, including Municipal Auditorium, Union Station and the Liberty Memorial.
For Populous senior principal Earl Santee, a Kansas City native who grew up attending Kansas City Athletics games at Municipal Stadium, the project also carries personal significance.
“This is where I learned to love baseball,” Santee said. “I learned to love the art of baseball, and what we do is art.”
That connection to the city is central to Santee's vision for the ballpark, which he wants to feel like a natural extension of its surroundings.
“We'll design this building one time, one place, for one community,” Santee said.
The updated design honors the crown, fountains, the Little K and traditions that have made Kauffman Stadium a beloved home for generations of Royals fans while creating a future-ready experience.
The ballpark's entrance features limestone framed by a layered screen of light-colored materials, metal and terracotta. Above, a lightweight fabric canopy preserves the tradition of open-air baseball while helping manage Kansas City's summer heat by shading approximately 65% of seating during late-afternoon conditions.
In the outfield, the right-field entertainment building and left-field Royals headquarters building will connect to the ballpark through two continuous 360-degree concourses, opening the seating bowl to views of Kansas City while creating a distinctive setting for the iconic Royals fountains and CrownVision scoreboard.
Founded in Kansas City more than four decades ago, Populous has shaped modern ballpark design, designing some of the most recognizable ballparks in the country, including Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Oracle Park, PNC Park, Yankee Stadium, Target Field and Truist Park.
Over 40 years, Populous has helped reconnect baseball with the urban setting, designing ballparks that reflect their communities and contribute to the revitalization of city centers. In total, Populous has worked with 29 of 30 Major League Baseball clubs in some capacity.
The history between Populous and the Royals includes multiple projects and renovations at Kauffman Stadium and the design of Surprise Stadium, the Royals' Spring Training home in Arizona.
Over 90% of the design team for the new ballpark will be based in Kansas City.
“It's not every day we get to do something in our own backyard, and that's what makes this project so special to me and to the over 500 of us at Populous that call Kansas City home,” said Sarah Dempster, a principal and architect at Populous.
“And now we're getting to design a ballpark that we'll one day bring our own families to.”