Populous ( company ) Populous is a global architectural firm specializing in the design of sports facilities and convention centers , as well as planning of major special events . The firm enjoys a dominant role in the design of sporting stadiums and arenas , including such globally prominent facilities as the new Yankee Stadium in New York , Wembley Stadium in London , Stadium Australia in Sydney , Wimbledon Centre Court , Minneapolis ' Target Field , San Francisco ' s AT & T Park , Duluth ' s AMSOIL Arena , Chicago ' s United Center arena , Busch Stadium in St . Louis , Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati , Pittsburgh ' s Heinz Field , Houston ' s Reliant Stadium , Arsenal ' s Emirates Stadium , Philippine Arena in Manila , the renovation of Chicago ' s Wrigley Field , University of Phoenix Stadium , the renovation of Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup , London ' s 2012 Olympic Stadium , Miami ' s Sun Life Stadium , Ascot Racecourse , New York ' s Citi Field , Benfica ' s Estádio da Luz in Lisbon , the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , the O2 Arenas in London , Berlin , and Dublin , the renovation of Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A & M University in College Station , Texas and Orioles Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore . Populous formerly operated as HOK Sport Venue Event , which was part of the HOK Group . In January 2009 , Populous was created through a management buyout , becoming independently owned and operated . It is reported to be one of the largest architecture firms in the world . History . HOK under Jerry Sincoff created its sports group in 1983 ( initially called the Sports Facilities Group and later changed to HOK Sport Venue Event ) . The firm initially consisted of eight architects in Kansas City , and grew to employ 185 people by 1996 . On several projects , HOK Sport had teamed with international design practice LOBB Partnership , which maintained offices in London , England , and Brisbane , Australia . On HOK Sport ' s 15th anniversary in November 1998 , the firm merged with LOBB . The new practice retained headquarters in all three cities . The Kansas City , Missouri , office was first based in the city ' s Garment District in the Lucas Place office building . In 2005 , it moved into its current headquarters at 300 Wyandotte in the River Market neighborhood in a new building it designed , on land developed as an urban renewal project through tax incentives from the city ' s Planned Industrial Expansion Authority . It was the first major company to relocate to the neighborhood in several decades . The company is one of several Kansas City - based sports design firms that trace their roots to Kivett and Myers which designed the Truman Sports Complex which was one of the first modern large single purpose sports stadiums ( previously , stadiums were designed for multipurpose use ) . Other firms with sports design presence in Kansas City that trace their roots to Kivett include Ellerbe Becket Inc . and HNTB Corp . . 360 Architecture is also based in Kansas City . " Retro " era of baseball parks . Populous is credited for spearheading a new era of baseball park design in the 1990s , beginning with Oriole Park at Camden Yards . At Camden Yards , and in other stadiums built by Populous soon thereafter like Coors Field and Progressive Field , the ballpark was designed to incorporate aesthetic elements of the city ' s history and older " classic ballparks . " Camden Yards ' s red brick facade emulates the massive B & O Warehouse that dominates the right field view behind Eutaw Street , whereas Progressive Field ' s glass and steel exterior " call to mind the drawbridges and train trestles that crisscross the nearby Cuyahoga River . " Starting with the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati in 2003 , a number of Populous Sport ' s stadiums featured more contemporary and even futuristic designs . Subsequent stadium exteriors featuring this motif opened in Washington and Minnesota . In addition to moving away from the concrete exteriors of the " cookie - cutter " multi - purpose stadium s that preceded the new parks , Populous incorporated other innovative touches : natural grass playing surfaces ( instead of artificial turf ) , asymmetrical field dimensions , various park - specific idiosyncrasies ( like Tal ' s Hill ) , and less foul territory that would keep fans farther from the diamond . And because the stadiums were designed for baseball instead of several sports , the sightlines were " uniformly excellent . " Camden Yards was not only hugely popular with baseball fans . The success of a new ballpark in downtown Baltimore convinced many cities to invest public funds in their own new ballparks to help revitalize struggling urban neighborhoods . From 1992 to 2012 , HOK Sport / Populous were the lead architects on 14 Major League Baseball stadiums and helped renovate four existing stadiums . Criticisms . Populous ' s designs across Major League Baseball have become so prevalent that some critics have asserted that the distinctiveness that was originally found in early " retro " ballparks is impossible to maintain : " There are nearly 20 [ new ballparks ] around the league , [ so ] their heterogeneity has come to seem altogether homogenous . " Whereas " classic " ballparks like Fenway Park were given strange dimensions simply because of the limitations provided by the plots of land on which the parks were built , new stadiums do not feature such restrictions . One sportswriter said the attempt emulate the old parks in this way is " contrived . " In addition , a number of commentators have criticized what they see as a tendency to cater new ballparks toward wealthier ticket buyers , such as with expanded use of luxury suite s instead of cheaper , conventional seating . Several writers have noted that upper deck seating at new ballparks may actually be farther away from the field than in the older parks , partly as a result of these new upper decks being pushed higher by rows of luxury suites . One writer in " The New Yorker " said it is " not quite right to credit or blame Populous " for trends in their new stadiums — as it is ultimately team owners that plan what they want in future stadiums — but they " certainly enabled " such changes . Event projects . Major League Baseball . Major League Baseball All - Star Game