ANNOUNCEMENT, RIGHT? THAT’S RIGHT. AND THEY ARE CALLING THIS ARENA A GAME CHANGER. MAYOR DAVID HOLT EVEN HAD A LOT OF EMOTIONS BEHIND THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BECAUSE HE SAID, THIS IS GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER. A YEAR AGO, I STOOD ON THIS STAGE AND I SAID REPEATEDLY THAT ALL WE DO IS WIN. AND OKC. I DIDN’T MEAN THAT IN QUITE THE SAME LITERAL SENSE THAT I DO TODAY. THREE WEEKS AFTER OKC CELEBRATED WINNING THEIR FIRST EVER NBA CHAMPIONSHIP, THE CITY UNVEILED A NEW CHAPTER. IT HAS A TIMELESS, CLASSIC QUALITY TO IT. RENDERINGS SHOW THE NEW ARENA THAT’S SET TO KEEP THE OKC THUNDER HERE FOR AT LEAST 25 MORE YEARS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STRUCK BY ITS BEAUTY. IT’S THE FACT THAT IT’S SIMULTANEOUSLY IS CUTTING EDGE, BUT IT ALSO FEELS CLASSIC. MANICA ARCHITECTURE PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE BLUEPRINT ALONGSIDE THE CITY AND THE THUNDER. THE NEW BUILDING WILL FEATURE A FULL 360 DEGREE GLASS CURTAIN WALL, WITH THE WEST FACING ENTRANCE ALIGNED WITH THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, AND ALSO FEATURE THUNDER ALLEY, A ZONE DESIGNATED FOR FANS. I THINK WE’VE STARTED SOMETHING THAT’S REALLY SPECIAL FOR THIS PLACE AND FOR THIS CITY AND FOR THESE PEOPLE. BUT THERE’S MORE TO COME. THERE’S NO SET NUMBERS YET. LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE IT WILL HOLD OR HOW MANY SUITES IT WILL HAVE. BUT THEY SAY IT WILL BE BIGGER THAN THE PAYCOM CENTER. THE CIRCLE DESIGN IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A FEEL OF TOGETHERNESS. THERE’S A LOT MORE WORK LEFT TO DO, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT KIND OF STORY WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE OVER TIME. THERE’LL BE LAYERS OF MEANING INCORPORATED INTO THE INTERIORS AND INTO EVERY ASPECT. THIS IS NOT A SMALL TOWN ARENA. THIS IS THE ARENA BEFITTING A TOP 20 CITY. THIS IS THE ARENA BEFITTING AN NBA CITY. THIS IS THE ARENA BEFITTING A BIG LEAGUE CITY. AND THIS DESIGN STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. REPORTING LIVE I
$1 billion vision comes to life: OKC reveals renderings for new arena
Oklahoma City has released renderings for a new arena designed to keep the Thunder in town for at least 25 more years, featuring a 360-degree glass curtain wall and a fan zone called “Thunder Alley.”
Updated: 6:04 PM CDT Jul 16, 2025
Oklahoma City has unveiled renderings for a new arena that promises to be a game-changer for the city and its NBA team, the Thunder, for decades to come. >> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel”A year ago, I stood on this stage, and I said repeatedly that all we do is win in OK. I didn’t mean that in quite the same literal sense that I mean today,” said Mayor David Holt.The announcement comes just three weeks after Oklahoma City celebrated winning its first-ever NBA championship. Holt described the arena as having “a timeless, classic quality to it” and noted its beauty, saying, “I have always been struck by its beauty, it’s the fact that it’s simultaneously cutting-edge but also feels classic.”The design, completed by MANICA Architecture in collaboration with the city and the Thunder, features a full 360-degree glass curtain wall with a west-facing entrance aligned with the botanical garden. It also includes “Thunder Alley,” a designated fan zone. “I think we started something that is really special to this place, to this city, and to the people, but there’s more to come,” said architect David Manica.While specific details such as capacity and the number of suites are yet to be determined, the new arena is expected to be bigger than the Paycom Center. The circular design aims to evoke a sense of “togetherness.” “There’s a lot more work left to do, and I think that kind of story continues to evolve every time there will be layers of meaning incorporated into the interior of every aspect,” Manica said.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.”This is not a small-town arena, this is the arena befitting a top 20 city, this is the arena befitting an NBA city, this is the arena befitting a big-league city,” Holt said.The design still requires approval from the city council, and the arena is expected to open in approximately three years.Top Headlines‘American Idol’ executive Robin Kaye and husband found dead in LA homeThird teenager dies days after crash on Garvin County highway, OHP saysSuspect in custody after firing shots during domestic incident, leading to police presence in SW OKCMayor David Holt to unveil renderings for new downtown OKC arena during State of the City addressVIDEO: Twin sisters give birth to baby boys one day apart in the same Indiana hospital
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Oklahoma City has unveiled renderings for a new arena that promises to be a game-changer for the city and its NBA team, the Thunder, for decades to come.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
“A year ago, I stood on this stage, and I said repeatedly that all we do is win in OK. I didn’t mean that in quite the same literal sense that I mean today,” said Mayor David Holt.
The announcement comes just three weeks after Oklahoma City celebrated winning its first-ever NBA championship.
Holt described the arena as having “a timeless, classic quality to it” and noted its beauty, saying, “I have always been struck by its beauty, it’s the fact that it’s simultaneously cutting-edge but also feels classic.”
The design, completed by MANICA Architecture in collaboration with the city and the Thunder, features a full 360-degree glass curtain wall with a west-facing entrance aligned with the botanical garden.
It also includes “Thunder Alley,” a designated fan zone.
“I think we started something that is really special to this place, to this city, and to the people, but there’s more to come,” said architect David Manica.
While specific details such as capacity and the number of suites are yet to be determined, the new arena is expected to be bigger than the Paycom Center.
The circular design aims to evoke a sense of “togetherness.”
“There’s a lot more work left to do, and I think that kind of story continues to evolve every time there will be layers of meaning incorporated into the interior of every aspect,” Manica said.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
“This is not a small-town arena, this is the arena befitting a top 20 city, this is the arena befitting an NBA city, this is the arena befitting a big-league city,” Holt said.
The design still requires approval from the city council, and the arena is expected to open in approximately three years.
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