Architects at Populous design some of the best stadiums in the world

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -

Unless they are torn down, stadiums are one of the few things in life that don't change. Your dad took you to the ball game at the "K" (or Kauffman Stadium) and you'll take your son. Everyone ages and changes, but stadiums are one of the few constants, and many of them, the best ones, come from the minds of people in the fair city of Kansas City.

It's one of the most influential and important sports businesses in the world and it's right in the middle of the old brick buildings and lofts in Kansas City's River Market area, but athletes with seven-figure salaries don't work here and neither do their agents.

"This is where it happens. It's an amazing legacy," said Greg Sherlock.

"When I got this opportunity, I was like, ‘Yeah. This is what I want to do," said Mike Sabatini.

Architects Sabatini and Sherlock work for Populous, formerly HOK Sport Venue Event, and design some of the best stadiums in the world.

"I know everybody just drives by, you can see it along the road, and is pumped about it," said Sabatini.

Sabatini designed jetBlue Park in Fort Meyers, FL. It's the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox and it opened just last week.

"It's Fenway on the inside, on the exterior it's all about Florida and for them, is was more about ‘we want to build Fenway south," he said.

With one minor change: fans can actually sit in the green monster in the shade at jetBlue Park.

"It's a very contemporary-looking building and it really fits the culture of Miami," said Sabatini.

It started with a tiny sketch, morphed into a wooden model and, on April 4, Marlins Park, the new home of the Miami Marlins, will open. It's a $350 million retractable-roof stadium that is hurricane proof.

"You can only imagine when you're putting a retracting roof that spans 600 feet on two rails, 10 stories up in the air, how complex of a problem that gets to be from an engineering perspective," said Sherlock. "This outfield wall, it's got this retracting - it's a transparent that retracts. It creates a picture frame of the city itself: the skyline of Miami is right there in the distance."

Populous has built Olympic stadiums in China, soccer stadiums in Guadalajara and baseball stadiums in the Beltway. Most of the greatest stadiums on Earth have come from the business located in the River Market.

"I like to tell the story where it really started when the leaders-to-be envisioned the two purpose-built facilities, Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium. Back in the late 60s was a pretty monumental time in professional sports history and America," said Sherlock.

Populous did the Kauffman Stadium renovation and, this summer, its handy work in its own backyard will be front and center when the All-Star game is in town.

"They'll (Major League Baseball) come to town and put on their show and they're showcasing one of your jobs," said Sabatini. "Now you're on the grandest stage of all - the world."

"I'm still waiting for that ticket," said Sherlock.

Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.

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Architects at Populous design some of the best stadiums in the world