Long known as one of Major League Baseball’s cathedrals, Fenway Park, home of the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, received yet another unique amenity to start this season: the Coca-Cola Corner. Situated in the upper tier on the park’s third-base side, the Corner, an 875-seat expansion will feature picnic seating, team-themed décor and, most importantly, a 42 ft. 8 in. x 12 ft. 3 in., illuminated Coca-Cola sign that underscores the soft-drink maker’s relationship with the team since 1912.
The Coca-Cola sign mimics one that identified a bottler on nearby Storrow St. for more than 30 years before its 1984 demolition. Designed by Baltimore-based Ashton Associates to convey a retro feel, the sign incorporates a decidedly retro style, with one major exception: It incorporates 1,059 LED lamps that create a 254-step, 25-second, “signature-style” through the logo when the home team makes a big play. Triangle Signs (Baltimore) fabricated the sign, which was unveiled to the public on April 8, when the Red Sox opened their home schedule with a 5-0 win over the Detroit Tigers.
For a full report on how the team, designers and fabricators merged their talents to mix and old new to develop a ballpark icon, read ST’s August issue.