The New York Mets approached our partners at Paramount to construct a new set of attractions for their concourse at Citi Field. It was my team’s responsibility to determine what the attractions would be, and develop the experience for each one. We were also challenged with creating an architectural concept for how these attractions would fit together on the concourse.

The Problem

The team at the New York Mets realized that they had a massive area of under-utilized space around the main concourse area of Citi Field. People would gather here before the games and come here for food but wouldn’t spend any more time in this space than absolutely necessary. There was no shade and no way to view the game from this area. Before they came to us they had installed a jungle gym and a small wiffle ball field near the entryway stairs to the concourse. They noticed that the wiffle ball field had drawn a large number of younger visitors during the games, but this area was far from anything else and felt disjointed from the rest of the concourse.

The Mets team wanted to find a way to expand these attractions throughout the concourse and create a unified experience. The goal was to create a space for people to enjoy themselves during and after the game. Especially families, who might have spouses or children that might lose interest in the actual game before it’s over.

The Solution

The New York Mets Backyard introduces a number of attractions to the Citi Field concourse. Using innovative applications of emerging technologies. We made sure that each module within the holistic design served to meet as many of our core goals as possible.

• Optimize usage of space for entertainment and crowd flow, plus expand the shade and seating areas.

• Wow fans with engaging experiences featuring emerging technologies not found within other ballparks.

• Develop memorable attractions that can be enjoyed before, during, and after a game or event.

• Drive in-stadium sales with AR kiosks, plus more food, drink, vendor & merchandise areas.

• Increase revenue opportunities not only with fans directly, but also through sponsorships.

Organic landscape design, seating areas and shade structures tie everything together. We wanted to make sure that the entire space felt like an elevated playground for the whole family, and not just a concrete waiting area.

Wiffle Derby

We knew that this area had high affinity and high engagement with a large subset of fans — particularly among younger Mets Fans. For that reason, our design focused on enhancing this experience – for everyone involved.

We flipped the orientation of the field to solve the problem of balls rocketing into the crowds on the other sides of the outfield fence. We added tiered & covered seating so that parents can beat the heat and rest their legs while their kids enjoy the field. We also added a massive, sturdy, visually-dynamic and highly-interactive outfield wall that will hold an array of outdoor LED panels which will stretch from end to end.

The massive LED screen can serve a wide array of functions such as displaying the in-game broadcast, away game watch parties or fan movie nights, or even custom shows designed to utilize the entire wall. The default state of the screen would display a crowd which would cheer any time a ball hit the back wall or went over it. The crowd would also hold up signs to spell out messages like a human dot matrix.

Base Thief

Can you beat your favorite all-time New York Met in a foot-race to second base? Now you can TRY! Base Thief is a Met’s Backyard activation tucked thoughtfully behind Wiffle Derby, replacing the current batting cage on the east side.

We utilized the length of the back wall of the stadium, as well as the back of the Wiffle Derby Canvas Wall to create a futuristic “race tunnel” with bright, fun, interactive lights, visuals, and sounds that are sure to get fans of all ages excited and engaged in the ultimate fan race experience.

Hurlin Heat

Think you can strike-out your all-time favorite New York Met?

Fans will have the opportunity to test their skills with Hurlin’ Heat! A dynamic activation replacing the batting cage on the north side of the outfield concourse.

A literal tunnel-vision-like, strike-launching experience where fans are prompted to pitch at specific highlighted zones on a screen from a mound 46 feet away.

This tech is so dynamic that dozens of teams across different levels of baseball utilize it when training their own players. The concept was already proven to be very successful and highly engaging for fans in temporary activations at the Atlanta Braves & Colorado Rockies stadiums, respectively. However, none of these activations have had their team-specific branding incorporated into the experience.

We would be the first.

the Cloud Canvas

Designed to be admired from above, and below. The Met’s Backyard Cloud Canvas is a sight to behold — from any angle.

One of the key improvements that the Mets were making to Citi Field was the addition of a full length monitor. Mounted on the back of the jumbotron facing the concourse. It was crucial that we provide shade for this area without fully obstructing the view of this feature.

With some mathematics and some prototyping; We developed a shape for our proposed shade structure that would allow visitors a full view of the improved Jumbotron from almost anywhere on the concourse.

It also doubles as a visual canvas for projection mapping and video. Which will be an iconic bird’s eye view for the millions of annual travelers that see Citi Field from above flying in or out of LaGuardia Airport.

The BREW GARDEN

A dynamic high-end point of sale dedicated to beverage service — with an emphasis on craft beers.

We designed a conversion of the existing Coors bar into a unique, open-air beer garden with a rounded 360° layout. This will increase the number of points of sale, and make a larger footprint for general bar operations.

Nestled just below the iconic Cloud Canvas, there will be a huge priority cast on decor elements inspired by traditional beer gardens such as greenery, wood, & warm lighting.

Beyond aesthetics, this update would create an overall better flow and a short-but-enjoyable queuing experience.