Not only are the residents of The Cordish Cos. and St. Louis Cardinals’ luxurious One Cardinal Way development at Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis, privy to exclusive views of the Redbirds’ games at the adjacent Busch Stadium, but the denizens of this striking sculptural glass tower also have access to a whopping 30,000-plus square feet of indoor-outdoor amenity space filled with perks like a rooftop infinity pool and deck, demonstration kitchen, and screening and game rooms.
And now, thanks to Atlanta-based Canvas Art Consultants, the lucky folks who call this 29-story, 297-unit property home also can experience a brand-new permanent, bespoke assemblage of custom baseball-related memorabilia including approximately 150 original paintings on canvas, pen and ink drawings, digitally drawn caricatures, photography, sculpture and more — all with references to St. Louis and the city’s pro baseball team.
“Creating this collection challenged us to find new and unexpected ways to artistically interpret various aspects of the game of baseball, and to differentiate this collection of works from others that can be seen in venues throughout a city that is inextricably linked to America’s favorite pastime,” says Canvas Art Consultants Director Matthew Whitaker, who worked with the Baltimore interior design team of R.D. Jones & Assoc. and members of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum to create the special exhibition.
The final component in Ballpark Village’s $260 million, 700,000-square-foot Phase 2 expansion (which includes an 11-story office building, three-story retail pavilion and a Live! By Loews hotel) already has been awarded two “Best in American Living” awards by the National Association of Home Builders — doled out annually to creative and talented building industry professionals who have redefined excellence for homes and communities nationally and internationally.
Designed by Baltimore-based Hord Coplan Macht and built by PARIC in St. Louis, the development started welcoming residents in August 2020, and features one- and two-bedroom and penthouse apartment homes for rent from $1,500 to around $8,000 decked out in Rebecca Jones-designed interiors, along with sweeping views of the stadium, Gateway Arch, Mississippi River and city skyline.
“The location is unmatched, and views of the city’s iconic landmarks are unparalleled,” says Whitaker. “One can literally sit poolside on Level 8 and watch a Cardinals baseball game, with a birds-eye view of the ball field and Busch Stadium directly below. The art collection was painstakingly curated and tailored specifically for the property. Cardinals fans will appreciate these special touches that we created just for them.”
Here, a peek at a few of the artistic highlights found at signature locations throughout the One Cardinal Way property:
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Image Credit: © Whitney Cox Photography and R.D. Jones & Associates Inc. This 12-foot column in the entertainment lounge has been completely wrapped in 1,296 authentic Major-League baseballs from Rawlings, supplier of the Cardinals’ baseballs. Caricatures drawn from player photographs hand-selected by Cardinals Owner Bill DeWitt Jr. add to the playful collection. The pop-up tray ceilings where the chandeliers are suspended hold murals that incorporate archival photography and headlines taken from actual newspapers.
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Image Credit: © Whitney Cox Photography and R.D. Jones & Associates Inc. The “Bird’s Nest” on the first-floor lobby draws on the “Cardinal Red” color formula provided by the Cardinals’ museum team, and is realized in acrylic and mixed-media. This over-scale painting sits on a floating wall and incorporates the authentic, vibrant color with texture to suggest a twig-like nest shape.
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Image Credit: © Whitney Cox Photography and R.D. Jones & Associates Inc. With its baseball rendered in regulation “Cardinal Red,” and strategically situated in the official strike zone, this original composition features the silhouette of a player at bat that is comprised of thousands of digital cardinal bird icons.
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Image Credit: © Whitney Cox Photography and R.D. Jones & Associates Inc. In the circulation path toward the lift lobbies is a series of original sculptures shaped like abstracted baseball bats and composed of marble composite. Inspired by home plate, the installation in the background features ceramic shapes made to the exact dimensions of a real home plate. The vinyl map overlay is an actual map of downtown St. Louis and Ballpark Village, with the white home plate icon marking the site of One Cardinal Way.
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Image Credit: © Whitney Cox Photography and R.D. Jones & Associates Inc. Each elevator lobby features a different vintage photograph from the archives of the St. Louis Cardinals, and offers a glimpse into the MLB franchise’s rich and storied history.
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Image Credit: © Whitney Cox Photography and R.D. Jones & Associates Inc. Artwork inspired by stadium pennants graces the conference room. The shapes that make up this abstract composition recall those of souvenir sports flags found at Busch Stadium. Hidden in the artwork is an image of an authentic vintage Cardinals pennant.