(Mike Allen)
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It marked the moment we’ve been waiting for.
Fresh off an NBA championship, fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder and citizens of OKC have been hungry to embrace what comes next. Well, the second course of their celebratory meal involved the new Thunder arena reveal during Mayor David Holt’s State of the City address on Wednesday. Considering that it kind of looks like a giant cake, I’d say it satisfied most everyone.
With how gaudy some recent arena and stadium designs have been, the comic above is not too far off from reality. As a resident of the city it will be built in, I’m just happy the Manica firm came up with what they did, frankly. The timeless and relatively understated design feels refreshing, and it fits well with Oklahoma City’s current vibe. One thing that wasn’t made completely clear in Holt’s presentation, however, is the lighting in and around the new Thunder arena. From the little bits we can infer from the renderings, that component looks like it has the potential to be the star of the show, but we won’t know for quite some time.
So what are the downsides here? The use of land on that giant block feels a little underwhelming outside of the revived Thunder Alley, but perhaps there are plans we have yet to see. The same can be said of outside amenities, although I’m sure there will be plenty of bars and shops to peruse once inside.
Of course, there remains the issue of the project budget, which seems a bit nebulous given all of the factors involved here — although don’t tell Holt that. The taxpayers of Oklahoma City voted on a certain dollar amount to contribute to this project, but as we know, the world isn’t always the most stable place, and rigid numbers could quickly become a dream.
All in all, I’d say the new Thunder arena reveal was a home run as far as the design goes, and I’m personally thrilled the city will get to enjoy something truly world class. Hell, maybe Taylor Swift will come here now.
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