Precast Elements Continue Baseball Spirit at Comiskey Park

Chicago's new Comiskey Park used precast elements in its design and construction to keep down costs, speed construction, and beautify the ballpark. Kansas City-based architects Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Sports Facilities Group (HOK Sport) planned the new ballpark to retain the old park's intimacy while offering state-of-the-art spectator services. Precast elements used in the project include: treads and risers for upper and lower grandstand on which seats are mounted--main deck seats are cast in place; raker beams and columns on lower grandstand; vomitory walls in upper grandstand; all architectural panels, inside and out; all structural members for six pedestrian ramps including hollow core, beams, and columns; 3,000 stair units of varying heights.