It’s easy to say the project team that completed Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins Park hit that one right out of the ballpark. The stadium, which is LEED Gold Certified and considered to be the league’s most environmentally sustainable park, achieves these standards thanks in part to its glazing and curtainwall systems.

The 37,000-seat facility, which was designed by architects Populus using Viracon glass, was constructed on the site of the former Orange Bowl, in Miami’s Little Havana. According to a statement from Viracon, the curves of the stadium’s metallic and glass exterior evoke images of the ocean.

“We aspired to create a sculptural building. The flowing white plaster and reflective metal forms contrasted by transparent color reflects this objective,” says Greg Sherlock, principal of Populous. “Viracon glass substrate combinations allowed us to graduate the color with a deep blue hue at the lower sections of the building and lighter aqua hues rising into the horizon.”

The color graduation was achieved by silk-screening Viracon’s insulating laminated VE26-42 glass. The glass also allows for a high visible light transmittance, at 24 percent, which further enhances the park’s modern aesthetic.

“We specified Viracon glass as it accomplishes three fundamental objectives; color, high visible light transmittance and superior solar reflectivity,” Sherlock continues.

The 120,985 square feet of Viracon glass used also contributed to the park’s environmental sustainability by bolstering its energy performance.

“The introduction intermittent rhythms of frit patterns further enhanced the solar reflectivity, with high density patterns along the southern and western façade resulting in significant energy reduction performance to reach LEED Gold certification for a building which includes a retractable roof and retractable glazed wall,” says Sherlock.

Additionally, Crown Corr Inc., based in Gary, Ind., served as the contract glazier. The scope of the company’s work included 26,170 square feet of interior curtainwall systems and 105,000 square feet of NOA missile-impact tested, unitized exterior curtainwall. Harmon Inc. was the curtainwall vendor, supplying a 33,000 square foot Harmon custom hurricane impact system for the project.

The project team also included general contractors Hunt/Moss Joint Venture.