Shining Light on Downtown OKC
we partnered with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to design and build a new gateway and the beautification of a major corridor in downtown Oklahoma City to commemorate the Memorial’s 30th anniversary. Our team managed and led the design & strategy of activating and beautifying 6th street in downtown OKC from the interstate to the Memorial grounds. Through partnering with the Memorial, Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership and the City of Oklahoma City, we were able to add significance and meaning to 6th Street’s entry point and underpass that leads thousands of guests to the Memorial’s sacred grounds every year.
Services
Placemaking
Design
Activation
Timeframe
2025
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Client
OKC Memorial & Museum
6th street needed a facelift.
The Memorial approached us in late 2024 with a goal: to help beautify the 6th Street corridor ahead of their 30th anniversary in April 2025. Beyond the millions of vehicles that travel this major route each year, the Memorial was anticipating thousands of additional visitors for their spring anniversary events. While downtown Oklahoma City has experienced a renaissance in recent years, 6th Street had largely been left behind.
We identified key pain points along the corridor where strategic improvements could make the greatest impact. Our focus included: working with the City to resurface 6th Street from the interstate to the Memorial grounds; transforming an underpass through placemaking and beautification; and creating a welcoming gateway to greet guests and residents as they entered downtown from the interstate.
Let there be light!
The Memorial’s message of resilience and hope has never been confined to the sacred grounds themselves — it’s been woven into the lives of Oklahomans for the past three decades. We saw this placemaking opportunity as a way to carry that message beyond the Memorial’s walls.
The underpass design uses a gradient inspired by the Memorial’s color palette, taking people on a journey from darkness to light as they pass through. Symbolically, it reflects how the Memorial’s powerful story changes us. As you leave downtown, the gradient reverses — a reminder that we carry the lessons of hope and resilience with us into the world.
At the heart of the underpass, the message “BE THE LIGHT” anchors the experience. For visitors, it sets the tone as they approach the Memorial and Museum. For daily commuters, it offers a quiet but powerful reminder to lead with kindness and bring light wherever their journey takes them.
Let’s add a gateway.
In addition to the underpass, we partnered with private property owners to create a unique downtown gateway within an underutilized plaza. Larger-than-life letters, painted in the Memorial’s iconic bronze, now anchor the space — lighting up at dusk to create a welcoming beacon. The installation not only offers a bold welcome into downtown, framed by the city skyline, but also guides residents and visitors along 6th Street toward the Memorial.
Ultimately, this project stands as a symbol of the Memorial’s gratitude to the citizens of Oklahoma City — and as a lasting reminder to “BE THE LIGHT” for the next 30 years and beyond.