“A sleek, defining element for the town’s Main Street.”
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD, October 2012
John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick founded Kirkpatrick Oil in 1950, and the company has been actively exploring for oil in the Hennessey, Oklahoma area ever since. Early on, a district office was established in town and as it continues to thrive, adds greatly to the local economy.
A FIRE. AND A NEW BEGINNING
Around dusk on October 1, 2007, a fire struck that destroyed the I.0.0.F Fellows Lodge and American Legion in downtown Hennessey. The vacant drug store next door was also damaged, and soon razed. All three Main Street buildings were downtown anchors, circa 1910. The gap the fire left behind stood as a highly visible reminder of the tragic loss.
The town had in 2000 established an initiative to make improvements to its downtown and the central community by 2010, but the fire rewrote the script. That’s when Kirkpatrick Oil joined the initiative by moving its office downtown, making world-class architecture the centerpiece of the Main Street beautification plan.
The move was a rare opportunity to tell a story that began with Kirkpatrick Oil’s long history as local pioneers of exploration and of a fire that destroyed three important buildings in the town’s heart. And finally, Kirkpatrick vision rose to make something remarkable happen.
Architectural Concept: “A Jewel Box on Main Street”
Rand Elliott Architects took placing a modern building in Historic downtown Hennessey as important opportunity. It was their job to respond to the historic context and bring new energy to this Main Street. I nspiration was taken from the historic 25-foot lot lines, the scale of the adjacent masonry, and the height of the historic buildings. (For example, the horizontal dimensions of the brise soleil (louvered sunscreens) are 2-3/8” high to match the adjacent masonry, tying the 20th and 21st century together.)
The new building combines modern forms and materials with a sensitivity to the scale and proportion of the adjacent original structures. Given Hennessey’s rich history, this building represents an exciting transformation.
A highlight of the building is a sculpture by renowned artist, Nigel Hall, of the United Kingdom. The piece is titled “Crossing Oklahoma” and is 8’-10” tall.
EMBRACED. AND CELEBRATED.
The project was immediately embraced by the community. The high school prom was held on Main Street the same year it was completed. And news was made by local students who filmed themselves performing the signature dance scene in “Footloose” – on Main Street.
It’s become a proud tradition for a downtown that emerged, heroically, from misfortune.
The north half of the building is the office space for the Kirkpatrick Oil Company, the south half is open space for a future tenant. Surprisingly, it’s become an event space for the community hosting quilt shows, Rotary meetings, and the annual High School prom.
Interior Design
2012 “Best of Year” Award, Office Category
From the Chicago Athenaeum:
2014 International Architecture Award
2012 International Architecture Award
Full Gallery
