Architect Shares His Vision for Wrigley Field Online
By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 13, 2011 3:00PM
Wrigley Field hasn't seen a major renovation since 1927. Even though politicians have chafed at Cubs owner Tom Ricketts floating a tax bond plan to renovate the Friendly Confines, most agree the ballpark - one of the state's largest tourist attractions - needs a rehab.
Enter Marty Sandberg. An architecture graduate at Notre Dame University and self-professed Cubs fan, Sandberg worked with the Cubs last fall and into the spring on putting together a comprehensive plan for a "Triangle Building" which could serve as the centerpiece of a renovation plan for the ballpark.
Sandberg told Chicagoist getting involved with the Cubs on the project was mainly luck. "Notre Dame architecture students all spend their last year at school working on a full design project of their choice," he said. "I figured finding something I love was the only way to survive that, so I got in touch with the Cubs asking if they could help out with programming the building - tell me what they envisioned going on inside, how much space, things like that."
In addition to luck, Sandberg also had his Domer pedigree going for him; Cubs President Crane Kenney is a Notre Dame grad and loved Sandberg's plan.
"The team gave me access to a bunch of things the public can't get their hands on, and in exchange they were getting 1000-plus hours of free ideas while I frantically worked away on it," Sandberg said.
The Triangle Building's design is intended to transfer many of the functions of the ballpark's concourse to the building. It also aims to facilitate entry to Wrigley Field by providing another entryway at Clark and Waveland.
Sandberg also designed the building to house new and improved offices for the Cubs staff, ticket windows, a gift store and a Cubs Hall of Fame. He worked on the Triangle Building project or over a year. "Every month or two I would send some sketches their way, and get some feedback from (Tom Ricketts), Kenney and whomever else might've been around," Sandberg said.
Both Ricketts and Kenney were vocal with their criticisms and support of the project. "They were very insistent about some things - like the relationship between the museum and store," Sandberg continued. "Other things that they wanted I completely disagreed with. Overall, they seemed to really like the way the design was going "
We asked Sandberg if Ricketts' ongoing fight for the bond offerings to renovate Wrigley Field may have put the project in limbo. "As far as I could tell, financing issues were the biggest reason the project is just floating right now," he said. "As I've heard multiple fans & columnists say, if you're asking for public money, you have to show us what you're going to do with it.
"Which is exactly what I was trying to accomplish."
Since Sandberg set up his website showing the plans, he said he's received nothing but positive feedback. "I know there are probably a bunch of people who would disagree with it for one reason or another, and there are all kinds of things that I would already change about it now that I've had another four months of thought," he said.
"But the biggest response has been kind of what I expected - 'Finally! Something to look at!' "