The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts
Sector
Performing Arts, Education
Location
Stillwater, OK
Year Completed
2019
Oklahoma State University (OSU), in partnership with the City of Stillwater, engaged Beck Design to lead the programming, facility assessments, master planning, and design for a new 74,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center. The 1,100-seat venue was envisioned to support a diverse range of performances, including orchestral and choral concerts, theater productions, and opera.
The project began with an intensive programming and planning process that brought together community members, university faculty, and staff. Through this collaborative effort, the team identified the distinct needs of both the City of Stillwater and the OSU Department of Music. Those insights shaped a tailored programming strategy and an architectural design that reflects the shared vision of the University and the community it serves.
The McKnight Center includes an intimate 200-seat recital hall with the finest acoustic treatments and features; practice rooms; classrooms; a media lab; and teaching studios. The building design incorporates cutting-edge audio and visual technologies on display architecturally, while respecting the existing campus aesthetic.
“The McKnight Performing Arts Center has been our moment to elevate Oklahoma State University to heights never before imagined, and collectively express our support for this transformative center. The Beck Design Team played an important role in designing this Center and assisting us in the process of fundraising.”
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Burns Hargis, OSU President (2008-2021)
