Boston Globe: Renovations to Fenway complete, architect leaves for new challenges

New challenge? There’s an over-moated bloat in the Bronx that needs some severe re-architectin’!

Janet Marie Smith, the architect credited with saving Fenway Park, has left the team after an eight-year renovation that preserved the ballpark’s old-style aesthetic while introducing fan-friendly innovations such as the Green Monster seats and modern concessions.

Smith, who joined the Red Sox front office in 2002, stepped down because much of her work to transform America’s oldest and smallest ballpark is finished. During her tenure, the team increased Fenway’s capacity by 5,000, waterproofed its leaky bleachers, and reinforced foundations to last another 40 years.

...The team of Lucchino, John Henry, and Tom Werner was the only one of five bidders for the Red Sox in 2002 that guaranteed the preservation of Fenway. They devised a plan with Smith to modernize and expand Fenway, while at the same time preserving its history, so that longtime fans would appreciate the improvements without really noticing them.

“Janet and I used to joke that anyone who was going to do work related to the ballpark was going to have to take the Fenway Hippocratic oath, with the first rule being, ‘to do no harm,’ ’’ Lucchino said yesterday. “She helped us do these renovation in a way that was artful as well as respectful to Fenway’s traditions.’’