FSB puts on its ‘game face,’ constructing much-needed, aesthetically pleasing parking garage next to OU’s legendary football stadium.

The University of Oklahoma has a growing campus that, in recent years, had lost much of its surface parking due to a $514 million capitol campaign for new facilities. The site immediately adjacent to the university’s legendary Oklahoma Memorial Football Stadium was a former surface parking area and major entry for over 30,000 people into the stadium. Aside from the obvious parking headaches that needed to be resolved, university officials wanted a facility that was multi-purpose, promoted openness, blended easily with the surrounding campus buildings and had aesthetic qualities that de-emphasized a parking garage appearance.

A gateway to the stadium was created on the ground floor through design of a large open pedestrian plaza. Housing the university’s ticket office and bookstore, the ground-level plaza creates an open, people-friendly circulation pattern. Above the plaza, the facility integrates five parking levels for 796 cars. The first elevated level of parking is 21’ – 4″ above the plaza, to produce an open feeling for pedestrians and to provide adequate clearance for large vehicles accessing the stadium. Complementing the Tudor and Cherokee Gothic detailing of older surrounding buildings, FSB created repetitive arched openings at the ground level, pediments and modified dental detailing at the top level, plus a generous use of brick.

As a result of this project the university’s parking woes were eased, and a memorable front door to the stadium was created. The overwhelmingly positive response from faculty, staff, students and the community proved both aesthetic and functional goals were exceeded.