Case Studies

Mission Rock – San Francisco, CA

Led by Canopy Team CEO Fran Weld during her time as the Giants’ head of Strategy and Development, Mission Rock is a $3 Billion public private partnership between the City of San Francisco and the team. This 28-acre, mixed use neighborhood located just south of Oracle Park included collaboration with over 20 Bay Area public agencies, multiple private development partners, and legions of active community stakeholders.

Mission Rock, which opened in early 2023, has set new standards for innovation, sustainability and inclusion in a mixed-use development. Home to VISA’s Global Headquarters, a record setting 40% of the residential units are affordable to low- and moderate-income renters, including a community of youth exiting the foster care program.

The neighborhood is 100% Fossil Fuel Free, with Zero Water Waste, LEED- Gold status, and a first ever District Energy System that powers the buildings. The construction team’s focus on equal representation in the workforce led to the creation of an inaugural Women In Trades training program.

Photo Credit: Mission Rock Partners
Photo Credit: Mission Rock Partners
Photo Credit: Mission Rock Partners
Photo Credit: Mission Rock Partners

Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
Camelback Ranch – Glendale, AZ

Canopy Team members have been at the forefront of the 10-year, $400 million renovations of 1962 Dodger Stadium that have allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers to play every April through October without fans ever witnessing construction during the baseball season. Piece by piece, renovations were defined, designed, and driven forward to meet specific contextual needs of Dodger Stadium for fans and players alike.

As technology and behavior patterns evolved through the last decade, proposed and completed projects were augmented to deliver a future-minded environment that honored the traditions of the past. Most recently, our team built a new two-and-a-half-acre “front door” to Dodger Stadium, providing fans with a lively entertainment atmosphere and easy access into the ticketed footprint, making the Centerfield Plaza a gameday destination before, during, and after the game.

The Canopy Team continues to oversee annual improvements both to Dodger Stadium and to Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers’ Spring Training facility in Glendale, AZ.

Education City Stadium – Doha, Qatar

Education City Stadium was built with the intention of serving as a hub for sport and recreational use following the 2022 World Cup. When the building operator, the Qatar Foundation, decided to focus legacy efforts for the venue on women’s sports specifically, Canopy was engaged to develop the program of uses.

Combining traditional sport and adjacent uses, we helped develop a program that will allow Education City Stadium to serve both elite and non-elite female athletes of all ages in Doha. The result is the design of a holistic destination for women and girls to gather, feel safe, engage in community, and participate in sport when they feel compelled to do so.

Spaces programmed include sports medicine facilities, performance-science laboratories, agility training spaces, spin, yoga, and Pilates studios, multi-purpose sport courts, a competition-sized 200m track, and dedicated spaces for women-owned retail outlets and local farm-to-table food vendors.

PNC Park – Pittsburgh, PA

Canopy Team members continue to work with the Pittsburgh Pirates to identify opportunities for breathing new life into the revered PNC Park. In advance of the 2022 baseball season, our team focused on transforming the outfield concourse, known as the Riverwalk, into a vibrant social space. We worked with the Pirates to strategically remove seats, relocate existing facilities, add bars and kids play structures, and upgrade concessions to open views toward downtown Pittsburgh and the playing field and establish the Riverwalk as a space where fans of all ages wanted to spend their time.

We worked with graphic designers and local artists to create signage, graphics, displays, and fan interactive elements, both inside and outside the gates, that members of the Pittsburgh community could enjoy year-round. Canopy collaborated with the Pirates’ team historian to develop creative and engaging ways to honor history and tell the stories of the team and city.

Polar Park – Worcester, MA

Sited in, and designed to reflect Worcester’s Canal District, Polar Park opened in 2021. Its intimate, communal atmosphere that is highly conducive to Minor League Baseball is due in large part to its precedent-setting application of flexible seating. With only 5,000 fixed seats, Polar Park uses flexible furnishings, berms, party decks, and SRO tickets to make up the second half of its seating.

Serving as design directors and owners’ representatives, the Canopy Team advised on site selection, oversaw the design, and managed the budget for the build-out of the 9,508-capacity ballpark. Home of the Worcester Red Sox, Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the ballpark is the reflection of meaningful collaboration between the City of Worcester, the Worcester Red Sox, and the design team.

Polar Park has been an incredible success since its opening, ranking #1 in ticket sales in MiLB in 2022, and was voted the best Triple-A ballpark in the country by fans in 2023. Canopy remains engaged on the Polar Park project to work with the team and city on annual improvements to the building and advise on the surrounding development. Our work on Polar Park has also laid the foundation for our involvement in a series of MiLB projects across the country.

Stamford Bridge – London, UK

As with any stadium of its age, renovations are necessary at the historic Stamford Bridge to maintain the charm of the site, while enhancing the overall fan experience. Directing a team of consultants, Canopy Team engaged local architects and stadium operations staff to carry out minor construction projects, liaised with local jurisdiction for signage and graphics approvals, and worked with Chelsea Football Club’s food and beverage partner, Levy Restaurants, to make operational changes that were supported by architectural renovations to elevate the fan experience in the general admission concourses.

All Stamford Bridge renovations and additions are scripted with careful consideration of the supporter and player experience. The Canopy Team has focused on using the building’s surroundings for gathering space by making improvements to encourage fans to arrive early and stay late to celebrate the match-day experience.