reflections on group fantasies

When the Braves announced they were moving to Cobb County - really just outside the city limits of Atlanta (perhaps so they could be close enough to Atlanta without being in it), I felt that the scales had been lifted from my eyes. I was reminded that a baseball team is, in this case, a business model. Every thing about the move makes business sense - in fact, seems ordered according to market forces. I understand from this, that regardless of my thoughts and emotional attachments with this team that the business model comes first - the team, it might as well be mayonnaise or vacuum cleaners or cruise ship travel: simply a product - imagine my embarrassment. I beg forgiveness. 

Anyway, I set about my artist's description of their coming digs. What is the most salient aspect of this little corner of I-75 and I-285? The gridlock that has made Atlanta traffic famous throughout the Southeast. Say what you will about Atlanta's "next great international city" aspirations - Traffic is our great achievement. The bottom half of the drawing below is taken up with depicting this traffic, all the buses, trucks, cars and vans that combine to form the goulash of gas guzzling that most impresses the minds of visitors and most elevates the heart rate (our twice daily aerobic exercise) of us locals. The top half is taken up with my idea of the new stadium: it seemed logical that the new stadium's design should be based on an open magnolia blossom. In the event of rain it's pointy leaves will curl up and shelter the 42,000 paying customers.

Traffic dominated my first drawing. In my second, I wanted to flesh out the developments that can take place on the property. Forming a rough V are the multiple lanes of traffic with some envisioning of future expansion.  To give a sense of scale, note the open magnolia blossom - that's the stadium! Overshadowing it is a large pig-shaped building of as yet, indeterminate use. Next to it is a large residential and business tower shaped like a ionic-Corinthian column. On the right, a bit further back is a 1200 ft tall tomahawk - because, why not! On the horizon please note: the cooling towers for a power plant that will belch out blue and red steam after every Braves victory.

I continue to flesh out how the stadium area and interchanges will evolve over time to meet the pressing needs of pressing needs. I added a Coke bottle - it would be a shame to leave out our identifying brand.

I continue to work over how all these objects might fit together. I upended the Coke bottle, because what is more refreshing than a fully emptied bottle? I tried to indicate the enormity of the parking lot by drawing in lots of median strips with hundreds of cars between each strip.

What might the experience be for the typical family exiting their minivan on game day. I clinked the tomahawk and Coke bottle together to form an arch hovering over the stadium. Perhaps they can move back and forth, urging the fans along in the tomahawk cadence. I brought the cooling towers in closer to increase the nuclear family's sense of intimacy. 

Finally, from a lower perspective, what might the average pedestrian's view of the complex be. Here I've indicated what view might obtain when the necessary lanes and interchanges have been added.