Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marie Butterline | 405-951-0000 | mbutterline@okcontemp.org
Media kit: bit.ly/FoldingLightFiveYears

Architect Rand Elliott’s focus on Place, Purpose and Poetics has Shaped a Global Institution and Cultural Destination in Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

Oklahoma City, OK — “Folding Light,” the ethereal, sculptural, 54,000-square-foot home of Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center (OCAC) created by architect Rand Elliott has anchored Oklahoma City’s Automobile Alley historic district for five years. Yet in that short time, it’s become a magnet for the international design media (appearing on six magazine covers to date, including Metropolis, Blueprint and Metal Architecture), earned 27 international, national, regional and local awards and played a pivotal role in advancing the institution’s mission of fostering creativity and providing accessible, transformative arts experiences.

“Folding Light” is also the subject of a recent segment of Smithsonian Channel’s series “How Did They Build That?” In Season 3 Episode 2, entitled “Bricks & Jungles,” it’s one of three celebrated projects bookended by Architect Frank Gehry’s new university building in Sydney, Australia and Amazon’s home in downtown Seattle, “The Spheres.” “How Did They Build That?” is available for streaming on various apps.

“Our building is not just a physical structure, but a transformative force,” said Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center Executive Director Trent Riley. “Its appearance in the TV episode — between two celebrated global landmarks — only underscores what we in Oklahoma City already know. ‘Folding Light’ is itself an extraordinary work of art.”

“It’s a shimmering sculpture of a building that’s as far from a box as you can imagine,” Smithsonian Channel program host (and Tulsa native) Jay Ellis marvels in the episode. The most fascinating part of the episode is when Elliott explains his creative process, and how his personal experience informs the way he imagined the building would interact with its surroundings. It’s an unprecedented look into a gifted creative mind.

“My parents were wheat farmers in western Oklahoma, so I have a background where you appreciate the land, wind, the big sky and the light. These are all part of my DNA,” Elliott said. “The concept for this building was to respond to these elements — the wind, the heat, the sun and particularly, the luminous colors of the sky and the light.”

The idea of Oklahoma’s skies as a source of inspiration – instead of tornado-induced anxiety — came as a surprise to the Smithsonian team. The morning the Smithsonian Channel’s London-based producers contacted Oklahoma Contemporary, they confessed that their knowledge of Oklahoma could be summed up in one word: tornadoes. One felt they might have been wondering if building anything in the state was perhaps too big a risk — especially a building with no right angles and an outer floating wall created from recycled aluminum.

Despite the common perception of aluminum, Elliott was drawn to its advantages, such as its sustainability, malleability, even energy efficiency. And its aesthetic potential, given the ability to transform its finish. Elliott’s team achieved a smooth, satin-like surface by treating it with a chemical bath that would also help it “hold” the light. This recycled aluminum would be extruded into a series of interlocking shapes that wrap the building in distinctive folds that accentuate light and shadow.

Less well known is that the shapes — or fins — (fabricated in a series of nine shapes which connect in a sequence that’s repeated) also act as a rainscreen. As part of a double-wall system, they never touch the building. The gap allows heat to rise into the atmosphere and directs moisture to the ground. It reduces energy loss, even as the rhythm of “folds” helps capture sky colors.

Elliott’s “Folding Light” concept is grounded in place, purpose and poetics. Place is about being rooted in Oklahoma City, its rich history as an ancient landscape of prairies, a pioneering spirit and an historic downtown district — all help create a distinct context and perspective. Purpose heeds the fact that Oklahoma Contemporary is a dynamic arts educational center, one that needed a series of flexible and changeable spaces that can adapt to current and future programming, with climate-controlled spaces for exhibiting art, along with spaces for performance, film and immersive installations, as well as classrooms, a café, gift shop and creative lounge/library. Poetics emerge from creative thought, to express an inspired idea.

Elliott’s goal is always to find something ethereal and timeless, something that truly celebrates the project’s unique place and purpose. For “Folding Light,” Elliott turned to the state’s big skies. “In Oklahoma, the horizon is always visible, and makes our sunrises and sunsets an uplifting experience,” he said.

Transforming an Institution

As the Smithsonian Channel episode notes, the nonprofit was founded in 1989 as “City Arts” at Oklahoma City’s State Fair Park. The organization thrived in pursuit of its mission to provide arts education for everyone. But as Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center’s Founder Christian Keesee points out, that building’s limitations sparked a capital campaign to build a new campus downtown. In the process, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center was born.

Perhaps Architect Magazine said it best: “Oklahoma Contemporary’s new downtown campus will stand as a modern marvel among the architecture of Oklahoma City, complementing and reflecting the city’s unique landscape.” Other publications that have written about “Folding Light” include: The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, USA Today, Wallpaper, Gray, Hypebeast, World Architecture News, The Architect’s Newspaper, The Art Newspaper, and Architecture MasterPrize.

Project Scope
Downtown campus: 4.6 acres
Main building: 53,916 square feet
Gallery space: 8,000 square feet
Studios building for multiple media: 9,839 square feet
Theater seating for 200
Dance studio
Café, shop and library/lounge
Adjoining sculpture park
Admission: Free

Awards and Rankings to date include:
Elle Décor “The 22 Most Beautiful Architectures of 2020” Worldwide
The Architect’s Newspaper AN “Best of Design” Awards (Cultural) Editors Pick
USA TODAY Top 3 Best New Museums, May 28, 2021
405 Magazine “Oklahoma City’s Most Beautiful Buildings,” August 2024

International Awards:
Architecture MasterPrize Winner | 2020
Architizer | 2021 A+ Awards Finalist
Blueprint Awards | Shortlist 2020
Dezeen | Top 10 US Architecture Projects of 2020
LCD Berlin | Leading Culture Destinations Nominee 2021 (one of three in the USA)
World Architecture News | 2020 WAN Awards Shortlist

National Awards:
American Architecture Award 2021 Best New Museum/Cultural Building
American Council of Engineering Companies 2020 Nebraska Honor Award
The Architect’s Newspaper | 2020 Best of Design Editor’s Pick
Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Awards 2021
Interior Design 2018 “Best of Year” Award (Pre-Opening)
Interior Design 2020 “Best of Year” Award Finalist
Metal Architecture | 2021 Grand Award Winner

Regional, State and Local Awards
AIA Central States Region Excellence in Design Awards | 2021 Merit Award
AIA Central Oklahoma Design Awards | 2020 Honor Award, Large Commercial Architecture
AIA Central Oklahoma Design Awards | 2022 Honor Award, Excellence in Craft
AIA Oklahoma Design Awards | 2021 Merit Award
Paseo Arts Award | 2021 Creative Placemaking Award
405 Magazine | Editor’s Choice Awards
ULI Oklahoma Impact Award | Large Scale Development Award 2021

About Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center
Oklahoma Contemporary is an inclusive center for the arts where people of all ages and backgrounds can experience art, encounter new ideas and ignite their creative potential. Through visual art exhibitions, performances, public programs, community-building initiatives, outdoor installations and special events, we create opportunities for everyone to come together in celebration of contemporary culture and artistic expression. With year-round classes and camps across multiple disciplines, the arts center’s education programs encourage youth and adults to express their ideas across a variety of media and learn new skills. Exhibitions are always free. You are always welcome here.

Oklahoma Contemporary is a regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by Christian Keesee and Kirkpatrick Foundation Director Marilyn Myers.

More information can be found in the media kit at bit.ly/FoldingLightFiveYears. Past press releases and information are archived at okcontemp.org/media.