Palmer Park University of Virginia Charlottesville, Va.

Project Description:

The University of Virginia’s new softball stadium functions as both a game-day stadium and a new state-of-the-art training facility that elevates UVA’s softball program and women’s sports within the growing Athletics Precinct.

The softball team vacated an outdated field in a remote location and transitioned to a new highly visible site at the center of the Athletic Precinct. In addition to heightened visibility, this move has allowed the team to work together in one location for practice and competitive play, creating efficient operations that allow the players and coaches to focus on development and training.

The architectural language of Palmer Park draws from its immediate neighbors and the rich history and legacy of UVA’s grounds. Brick is the predominant material of the stadium’s constructed edges, employed as both a base for the superstructure and the skin of the Player Development Center. The lightweight roof hovers above the concourse and press box, partially sheltering the grandstands and helping to support the backstop netting.

The facility features an indoor player development center with three batting cages and a dedicated pitching lane, a locker room, a team lounge, a training room, a press box and meeting spaces, among other amenities. The field is lit by LED field lights — a first for UVA. The ballpark features both chairback and grandstand seating behind home plate, grass hillside seating down the right field line and a berm for patrons beyond the outfield wall.