Western Metals Building Incorporates PETCO Park Stadium: San Diego |

Creative Conversion: Western Metals Building Incorporated into PETCO Park Stadium, San Diego

June 24th, 2011, In Architecture, by Tom

western metal supply co Creative Conversion: Western Metals Building Incorporated into PETCO Park Stadium, San Diego (Image: Edward O’Connor, cc-sa-3.0)

A decade ago the Western Metal Supply Co. building in San Diego was scheduled for demolition to make way for PETCO Park, the city’s state-of-the-art Major League Baseball stadium, which opened in 2004. But an inspired commitment to adaptive reuse saw the historic building incorporated into the ballpark’s final design.

western metal supply co 2 Creative Conversion: Western Metals Building Incorporated into PETCO Park Stadium, San Diego (Image: Phil Konstantin, public domain)

Modern balconies were added to the 100-year-old brick structure, which now contains a team store, restaurant, private suites and rooftop seating. The southeast corner of the recycled building, marked by a strip of yellow iron, serves as the left field foul pole, and a ball striking the building’s facade is considered a home run.

western metals building petco park Creative Conversion: Western Metals Building Incorporated into PETCO Park Stadium, San Diego (Image: LA Wad, cc-nc-sa-3.0)

In a bid to preserve the Western Metals Building‘s heritage, the historic facade boasts its original name painted just below the roofline, while the modern balconies add to the recycled building’s functionality. The construction of PETCO Park (home of the San Diego Padres) was part of an effort to revitalise San Diego’s aging downtown district around the East Village, and it’s refreshing to see the creative conversion and integration of the area’s industrial past.