The CHK | UCO Boathouse features an angular “prow” cast in UCO’s school colors, gold and blue.
- UCO WOMEN’S ROWING + LIVE MUSIC VENUE + ART GALLERY
Completed: April 2015 Size: 18,000 SF, 2 Floors
“For this boathouse, we had begun to imagine, what more could it be?”
– Architect Rand Elliott
The University of Central Oklahoma’s jewel box of a boathouse is another aerodynamic “vessel” featured in the riverfront’s architectural “regatta” Rand Elliott Architects’ goal was to conjure an architectural spirit that embodies the similarities shared by rowing and music — the steady rhythms, movement and flow.
Panoramic river view
Golden “notes” of sunlight through windows
As home to the UCO women’s rowing team, it adds to the riverfront roster of community-minded universities. The UCO collegiate colors are gold and blue, so gold LED lights distinguish the “prow” of this boat-like boathouse. (The boat – or sleek rowing shell-like design concept was birthed in 2006 with the Chesapeake Boathouse, and honed with Devon Boathouse and CHK Finish Line Tower was reinforced as other sculptural structures followed.)
UCO maintains two acclaimed music programs: the UCO Jazz Lab and ACM @ UCO (Academy of Contemporary Music). ACM @ UCO is the only stateside extension of the London-based Academy of Contemporary Music. So, designing a performance venue here was a natural.
Job One is accommodating rowing shells and fitness training. Yet the showstopper is the music venue/theater with soaring riverfront windows. The waterfront is reflected in a highly polished concrete floor that mirrors the water’s the surface. The stage is elevated and the room offers seating for 160. Fine-tuned acoustics are a vital component of this a one-of-a-kind facility. An adjacent green room/small conference room complement the stage.
ARTISTIC NOTES
Abstract connections in the structure’s architectural form include windows that cast a scattering of golden “notes” on interior surfaces.
At the front entrance, an artistic display of piano wire makes an unexpected reference to music. Nearly 400 stainless-steel wires are strung tightly, floor to ceiling, create an remarkably water-like effect. Some see guitar or cello strings but it’s a dynamic, moiré effect. It’s an extension of the architectural solution, a riff on the design inspiration of rowing/music.
North Entrance shadows suggest a musical staff and the artistic statement at the reception desk speak to music. Work hung along the Art Gallery walls welcomes other artful displays.
Lighting along hallways creates hanging space for art that comes as a bonus for guests and the UCO Fine Arts program.
OPENING NIGHT
Christening this new boathouse was an Opening Night concert by the Midtown Men of Broadway fame. Based on the life of Frankie Vallee and reuniting stars from the original cast of Jersey Boys, it was a tour de force performance that more than validated the new venue. An evening that was “joyous and nostalgic” included the delight of discovering another yet dimension of OKC’s river renaissance.
WINDOW ON BOATS DISPLAYED
Guests also enjoy seeing the boats on racks as a dimension of the experience, rewarding performers and audiences alike.
Yet the stage is removable, so the space is flexibly multi-purpose, accommodating meetings as well as music. With its soaring wrap-around window on the river, it elevates any occasion.
With UCO’s entry, another boathouse joined the “race,” its “prow” breaking the water’s edge alongside other vessels made for speed, with more to come, farther east. Add UCO’s significance as a U.S. Paralympic Training site since 2009, and it seems like a hint of Olympic rings to come.
With UCO’s entry, another boathouse joined the “race,” its “prow” breaking the water’s edge alongside other vessels made for speed, with more to come, farther east. Add UCO’s significance as a U.S. Paralympic Training site since 2009, and it seems like a hint of Olympic rings to come.
Opening Night was an elegant event featuring Broadway’s “Midtown Men” in concert.
Awards:
2015 Chicago Athenaeum “American Architecture Award”
2015 Interior Design International “Best of Year” Award
2015 AIA Oklahoma Honor Award, Commercial Architecture
“If this stunning white object on the bank of the Oklahoma River resembles public artwork, that’s no coincidence. Anyone familiar with Interior Design Hall of Fame member Rand Elliott knows that art is always part of his intention.”
Rowing, art and music. It’s a combination of disciplines that, in 2015, was groundbreaking, yet a decade later, seems quite natural. Their similarities are an inspiration.
Like a free-standing sculpture, there is no “front” or “back” but rather, a 360-degree exposure – which required carefully concealing the mechanicals. (Otherwise, visitors would encounter a tangle of condensers and plumbing fixtures.) Inside, the downstairs is split between cultural space for the public and storage for rowing shells, while the upstairs comprises the training room and offices.
Featured in:
LIGHTING Illumination in Architecture (UK) Jan 2017 p 20-43 “Rhyme & Reason” 24-page Feature story with 11 projects including CHK UCO Boathouse light pools
INTERIOR DESIGN April 2016
“At a Boathouse by Rand Elliott, Sports and Arts Go Hand in Hand – Interior Design”
