Devon Auditorium / Pickard Chilton

Architects: Pickard Chilton
Location: Oklahoma City, United States
Lead Architect : Jon Pickard FAIA, RIBA; William Chilton FAIA, RIBA, Rodney Nelson, Maegen Michael McElderry AIA, Mohamad Hafez AIA, Russell Wilson AIA, John Lanczycki AIA
Architect Of Record: Kendall/Heaton Associates
Development Manager: Hines
Client : Devon Energy
Area: 21000.0 ft2
Project Year: 2013
Photographs: Alan Karchmer, Joe Aker, Joseph Mills, Simon Hurst

Text description provided by the architects. Defining an urban edge between Oklahoma City’s business and arts districts, the freestanding auditorium is a prominent, multi-use venue designed to support private and public events. As a key component of the adjacent Devon Energy Headquarters, the 300-seat auditorium’s strong presence activates street life and supports downtown’s revitalization. The intimately scaled auditorium is nestled in a landscaped garden and provides dramatic views of downtown and the adjacent city park, Myriad Gardens.

The Devon Auditorium’s design respects the city’s urban renaissance and encourages a vibrant street life. A high level of transparency serves to connect interior functions with exterior events enabling the building to be engaged in its surrounding neighborhood. A double height lobby with a 38-foot angled glass wall projects out towards the street, accentuating its public profile. The entry sequence crosses under a threshold of skylights, creating a curtain of daylight above the main entrance stair and at the back of the auditorium. Designed with a focus on the user experience, the seating is wrapped with planes of wood, soft lighting and a striking view to the garden.

The connection of a delicate, glass-enclosed skybridge from the headquarters to the auditorium’s second level ensures secure access while defining pedestrian access to the park. While designed to support company events, the auditorium is available for use by the public and is designed to acoustically support a range of musical performances. The space’s programmatic flexibility enhances its value to the community thus providing a significant civic amenity for downtown Oklahoma City.