Turning Construction into Opportunity
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum required a temporary entrance that maintained operational clarity and visitor flow during the construction of their new extensive lobby and education center, Foreword. This had to be done while upholding the Memorial’s mission of reflection, remembrance, and dialogue.
Traditional construction signage and barriers often create a sense of exclusion, confusion, or disruption. The challenge is to design a temporary entrance that is safe, navigable, and functional, yet also welcoming, respectful, and placemaking-driven, providing visitors with a meaningful experience from the moment they approach the site.
Services
Placemaking
Design
Activation
Timeframe
2025 - 2027
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Client
OKC Memorial & Museum
An opportunity for experience.
The temporary entrance presented an opportunity to redefine how visitors experience entering the Museum. By treating the interim entrance as a moment of hospitality and reflection, rather than a construction zone, we were able to create a design that guides, welcomes, and engages visitors while reinforcing the Memorial’s mission. This space can serve as not just a temporary solution, but a memorial experience that enhances meaning, fosters connection, and elevates the overall visitor experience.
THE CHALLENGE
The Memorial & Museum is both an active place and a sacred one. From the start, it was essential that the Museum remain open while the temporary entrance was constructed, and even more essential that the work be quiet and unobtrusive. Construction could not interfere with the stillness of the Memorial grounds or the space guests need to reflect. With just one week to erect the new lobby and complete its finishes, every decision was guided by care, restraint, and respect for the site.
Touchpoints of Hospitality
Over the course of the 18-month construction period, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum has a unique opportunity not only to manage disruption but to redefine the visitor experience thoughtfully.
Rather than seeing this phase as an obstacle, we see it as an opportunity to show the Memorial’s enduring commitment to hospitality, empathy, and thoughtful design. The focus is simple and powerful: make wayfinding clear, make hospitality visible, and make every touchpoint intentional.
From the first step through the door to the final moment of reflection, visitors can feel cared for, guided, and supported in ways they may not expect. Construction may change the flow, but it does not have to diminish the experience. Done well, it can elevate it. By leaning into clarity, design, and service, the Memorial can create moments of ease and quiet reassurance. What feels temporary in the moment can become lasting in memory.
Through a 3-day charrette process, we identified a series of key touchpoints where the Memorial can meet guests with an added layer of hospitality, ensuring visits remain accessible, safe, and meaningful throughout construction.
To maintain a seamless visitor experience during construction, a temporary lobby was designed to house both ticketing and retail. The space prioritizes clarity, warmth, and efficiency, ensuring guests can easily orient themselves while still feeling welcomed into the Memorial. Through thoughtful layout, clear signage, and intentional finishes, the temporary environment supports operations while reinforcing the dignity and care central to the Museum experience.
To maintain a seamless visitor experience during construction, a temporary lobby was designed to house both ticketing and retail. The space prioritizes clarity, warmth, and efficiency, ensuring guests can easily orient themselves while still feeling welcomed into the Memorial. Through thoughtful layout, clear signage, and intentional finishes, the temporary environment supports operations while reinforcing the dignity and care central to the Museum experience.
To maintain a seamless visitor experience during construction, a temporary lobby was designed to house both ticketing and retail. The space prioritizes clarity, warmth, and efficiency, ensuring guests can easily orient themselves while still feeling welcomed into the Memorial. Through thoughtful layout, clear signage, and intentional finishes, the temporary environment supports operations while reinforcing the dignity and care central to the Museum experience.
To maintain a seamless visitor experience during construction, a temporary lobby was designed to house both ticketing and retail. The space prioritizes clarity, warmth, and efficiency, ensuring guests can easily orient themselves while still feeling welcomed into the Memorial. Through thoughtful layout, clear signage, and intentional finishes, the temporary environment supports operations while reinforcing the dignity and care central to the Museum experience.
Typically closed to the public, the Archives will now be part of the visitor journey during construction, offering guests a rare opportunity to exit through this remarkable collection of artifacts from the Oklahoma City bombing site. To support this shift, we partnered with the Memorial to prepare the space for visitors by introducing a series of thoughtful design elements that enhance clarity, comfort, and respect for the collection.
Typically closed to the public, the Archives will now be part of the visitor journey during construction, offering guests a rare opportunity to exit through this remarkable collection of artifacts from the Oklahoma City bombing site. To support this shift, we partnered with the Memorial to prepare the space for visitors by introducing a series of thoughtful design elements that enhance clarity, comfort, and respect for the collection.
Construction fencing now frames a significant portion of the Museum’s entrance, creating an unexpected opportunity for both storytelling and wayfinding. Through thoughtful graphics and messaging, the fence clearly signals how to access the Museum while also sharing the story of the project. It invites guests to understand what is happening on site and encourages them to lean into deeper reflection and better conversations throughout their visit to the Memorial.
Construction fencing now frames a significant portion of the Museum’s entrance, creating an unexpected opportunity for both storytelling and wayfinding. Through thoughtful graphics and messaging, the fence clearly signals how to access the Museum while also sharing the story of the project. It invites guests to understand what is happening on site and encourages them to lean into deeper reflection and better conversations throughout their visit to the Memorial.
The Better Conversations benches transform seating into an intentional moment of reflection. Placed along the visitor journey, they invite guests to pause, connect, and process their experience together, reinforcing the Memorial’s commitment to empathy, presence, and human connection.
This Project is Currently in Progress
Check back here in the coming months as this project continues to unfold. We’ll add pictures and videos of the experience in use and project impact numbers!