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 lost much of its surface parking due to a $514 million capitol campaign for new facilities. The site immediately adjacent to the legendary Oklahoma Memorial Football Stadium was a former surface parking area and major entry for more than 30,000 people into the stadium. Aside from the obvious parking headaches that needed to be solved, university officials wanted a facility that was multi-purpose, promoted openness, blended easily with the surrounding campus buildings and aesthetically de‑emphasized a parking garage appearance.

Complementing the Tudor and Cherokee Gothic detailing of older surrounding buildings, FSB used repetitive arched openings at the ground level, and pediments and modified dental detailing at the top level, as well as generous use of brick throughout. A gateway to the stadium was created on the ground floor through the 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.

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