Hard to believe they want to throw all this away

I took my son for a late afternoon splash around at the Family Pool this afternoon.

As we hung around outside the gates in the (finally) pleasantly balmy evening heat, people were streaming into Green Arena to watch world championship basketball, cheers from the baseball stadium could be heard and there were cheerleading groups and bmx-ers practicing in Hanover Park. As we made our way around the side of the baseball stadium we could catch glimpses of the crowds inside, and all manner of people carrying picnics and beer were eager to get in. We were stuck behind a group of four people who were obviously connected with the baseball tournament. Coming around the side of the stadium the top of the A-bomb Dome was bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, and it struck me just how impressive all this must seem to these visitors; what a vibrant, energetic, and of course historic, city they had had the good fortune to based in.

This is the kind of PR you cannot pay for – this atmosphere is what these people will remember, and what they will try and convey to their friends when they return home. Take away the baseball stadium and I think we would have an altogether different picture. Hiroshima folk of all stripes are not going to be converging excitedly on a building containing a 30m long mural on a Thursday evening.

Comments

windcheater

Very, very true 🙁

Although if (and I say IF) they build a truly stunning stadium, not some shitty dome AND put something on the old site like, I dunno, the Guggenheim museum, then I might concede that it could be ok.

It’s two very big ifs though….