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BOK Center
BOK Centerlogo.png
BOK Center faccade.JPG
Full name Bank of Oklahoma Center
Address 200 South Denver Avenue West
Location Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Owner City of Tulsa
Operator SMG
Capacity Central stage: 19,199
Basketball: 17,839
Hockey: 17,096
Arena football: 16,582
End stage: 13,644
Construction
Broke ground August 31, 2005
Opened August 30, 2008
Construction cost US$196 million
($266 million in 2014 dollars )
Architect Pelli Clarke Pelli
MATRIX Architects, Inc.
Odell Associates
Structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti
Services engineer Lancorp Engineering
General contractor Tulsa Vision Builders, a joint venture between Flintco Inc. and Manhattan Construction Company
Tenants
Tulsa Oilers (ECHL) (2008–present)
Tulsa Talons (af2/AFL) (2009–2011)
Tulsa Shock (WNBA) (2010–2015)

The BOK Center, also known as the Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a huge building in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It's a multi-purpose arena where many different events happen. It can hold up to 19,199 people!

This center is a main place for indoor sports and events in Tulsa. It was built for things like arena football, hockey, basketball, and concerts. The building cost about $196 million to make. Construction started on August 31, 2005, and it officially opened on August 30, 2008.

A famous architect named César Pelli designed the BOK Center. He also designed the Petronas Towers in Malaysia. The BOK Center was a very important project for Tulsa County's "Vision 2025" plan. A local company, Matrix Architects Engineers Planners, Inc., also helped with the design. The arena is run by a company called SMG. It's named after the Bank of Oklahoma, which paid $11 million for the naming rights. The Tulsa Oilers ice hockey team is the main team that plays there now. The BOK Center used to be home to the Tulsa Shock (a women's basketball team) and the Tulsa Talons (an arena football team).

What Does the BOK Center Look Like?

Inside BOK Center2
The arena's main lobby. The floor has cool Native American art.

Tulsa city leaders wanted the BOK Center to be a special building. César Pelli used ideas from Tulsa's culture and art to design it. This included Native American art, art deco style, and modern designs. He used lots of swirling, circular shapes inside and outside the building.

The outside has a huge glass wall that wraps around it. It's 103-foot (31 m) tall and 600-foot (180 m) long! This glass wall has 1,600 heavy glass panels. There are also 33,000 shiny stainless steel panels that spiral upwards around the building. Inside, the grand staircases also swirl, following the building's motion.

The whole building is about 565,000 square feet (52,500 m2) big and is 134 feet (41 m) tall. Inside, the ceiling above the main floor is 120 feet (37 m) high. A long, 930-foot (280 m) HD video screen wraps around the three levels of seats. There are 17,343 fixed seats, and they are wider than average. The number of seats can change depending on the event. For example, it can hold 13,644 people for some concerts, 17,096 for hockey, and 17,839 for basketball.

The second floor has special areas for the press and 37 luxury suites. These suites are like private rooms with seats, a bar, and a kitchen area. In the main lobby, the floor is made of a special material called terrazzo. It has tiny pieces of mother of pearl mixed in, making it sparkle!

BOK Center Scoreboard
The BOK Center's large scoreboard.

What Cool Features Does It Have?

The BOK Center has 37 public restrooms, including family restrooms. It also has dressing rooms, workout rooms, and offices for coaches and staff.

The giant scoreboard hanging above the arena floor is one of the most advanced in the country. It weighs 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg) and is 30 by 33 feet (9.1 m × 10.1 m) big! It has four large HD screens and other wrap-around HD screens. This amazing scoreboard was paid for by private donations.

There are 14 places to buy food and drinks. Seven of these are local Tulsa restaurants that offer different kinds of food. You can find American food, Mexican food, pizza from Mazzio's and Papa John's, hot dogs, and chicken baskets.

The city spent nearly $1.5 million on artwork inside the building. This is because a city rule says that 1% of construction costs for public projects must go to art. Five artists were chosen to create art that shows the spirit of Tulsa and Oklahoma. One large, cloud-like sculpture hangs above the main concourse. There are also four large Native American medallions on the floor and 25 paintings of tallgrass prairies on a wall. A big black-and-white painting of horses and a special light display are also part of the art collection.

Who Owns and Manages the BOK Center?

The city of Tulsa owns the BOK Center. However, a company called SMG manages it. SMG is the biggest arena management company in the world. They also manage other venues nearby. SMG has many full-time and part-time workers who help run the BOK Center every day.

History of the BOK Center

Inside BOK Center
The BOK Center opened with a public event on August 30, 2008.

Back in 2002, the mayor of Tulsa, Bill LaFortune, promised to hold a meeting about city planning. Even though voters had said no to new arenas in 1997 and 2000, the idea for a new arena in downtown came up again. This idea was part of a bigger plan called "Vision 2025." This plan involved increasing sales taxes for 13 years to pay for many projects, including the arena. Voters approved Vision 2025 in September 2003.

César Pelli's design for the arena was shared in September 2004. Construction officially began in August 2005. Two construction companies, Flintco and Manhattan Construction, worked together to build it. The original budget was $141 million, but costs went up to $178 million because of things like Hurricane Katrina and a strong local economy. An extra $18 million in private money was used for special upgrades, bringing the total cost to $196 million.

Major Events and Shows

The BOK Center officially opened on August 30, 2008, with a special ceremony. Famous Tulsa musicians Garth Brooks and Hanson were there. The first public event was a community choir on August 31.

The first big concert was on September 6, 2008, featuring the Eagles. Since then, the BOK Center has hosted many huge stars like Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John, U2, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Guns N' Roses, Taylor Swift, and many more. The Eagles even played a second show because their first concert sold out so fast!

The NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder played their first preseason game there on October 13, 2008. The BOK Center is currently home to the Tulsa Oilers ice hockey team. It used to be home to the Tulsa Talons (arena football) and the Tulsa Shock (women's basketball).

The BOK Center has also hosted big sports tournaments, like the Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament in 2010 and games for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 2011 and 2017. The Professional Bull Riders also hold events there.

In June 2020, former US President Donald Trump held a campaign rally at the BOK Center.

Famous Concerts and Shows

Many famous artists and shows have visited the BOK Center, including:

How to Get to the BOK Center

City officials say there are about 12,000 parking spots within a 10-minute walk of the BOK Center. There's also a city-owned parking garage right across the street. For big events, the Tulsa Transit offers free shuttle bus services. These shuttles take people to and from the arena and downtown Tulsa. Also, during major events, there are guides stationed around the arena to help people find parking and give information.

Events and Tenants
Preceded by
The Palace of Auburn Hills (as Detroit Shock)		 Home of the
Tulsa Shock
2010–2015		 Succeeded by
College Park Center
Preceded by
Tulsa Convention Center		 Home of the
Tulsa Talons
2009–2011		 Succeeded by
Alamodome (San Antonio)
Preceded by
Tulsa Convention Center		 Home of the
Tulsa Oilers
2008–present		 Succeeded by
current



See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: BOK Center para niños

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