Host to Linde Oktoberfest Tulsa, a premier Oktoberfest celebration that draws a crowd of thousands, the River West Festival Park on the banks of the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has long been a symbol of entertainment history. Built in the late 1970s with the help of a federal economic development grant, the park provides the best views of downtown Tulsa’s towering skyline.
Locals and government leaders have long wanted a new vision for the park. Originally designed by Dewberry, the park was the perfect live music venue. Its floating stage, 3,000-person concrete amphitheater, and spacious lawn allowed concert goers to see, hear, and experience performances from anywhere in the park.
Since then, the city has expanded the park’s event profile to the Oklahoma Scottish Games and dozens of other small events, many of which aren’t concerts. Now, the stage often floats as an unused obstruction to the park’s beautiful downtown views, and the River Parks Authority is excited to move forward with a new vision.
A Venue for All Seasons
As lead designers of the new park, we helped create the vision for a flexible space that invites year-round daily use while comfortably handling the throngs of people that frequent the city’s events.
By removing many of the park’s original features, like the floating stage and basketball courts, the “flattened” park will provide plenty of flexible event space. A central walking path will usher visitors from a new entry point, through the park, and to the location of the original amphitheater with a gorgeous shoreline view of downtown Tulsa.
Existing onsite parking will be expanded and a new car turnaround will be incorporated seamlessly into a pedestrian meeting area made of concentric circles that flow into the central walking path. The turnaround will be big enough to handle shuttle bus traffic during events, but small enough to protect the park’s intimate feel. A new west side loop of the adjacent RiverParks trail system, a playground area, and restrooms will encourage families to stay in the park longer and use it more frequently.
“Meet Me At The Center Pearl”
A particularly unique feature of the park are the concrete “pearls” that will dot the central path. Lighted to facilitate everyday use and fully powered for events, the pearls double as both a casual meeting place and dedicated ticket or concession space. Our site/civil team facilitated all this by designing a completely new underground utility and irrigation system that includes a 4,500-square-foot storage building offset in the park’s southeastern corner, thereby ensuring a view of downtown Tulsa from any point of the park.
Construction of this new vision has just begun, and its truly exciting to see a modern park come together in a timeless location.
