Oklahoma City, Okla. - Manhattan Construction Company's, Wanda L. Bass Music Center project team has received the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Oklahoma's top honor -- the "Build Oklahoma Award" for 2006.
Congratulations to the Manhattan Construction Company Wanda L. Bass Music Center Project Team who proudly accepted the Award at the AGC of Oklahoma 67th Annual Meeting held on January 27, 2007 in Oklahoma City. In addition to receiving the Build Oklahoma Award, Oklahoma City Area Manager John Thompson was named Vice President of the 2007 AGC Board.
Build OK Award presented to MCC Wanda L. Bass Music Center project team: (From L to R) Gary Cero, Assistant Superintendent; Butch Dudley, Superintendent; Sharon Muse, FOM; Kyle Nelson, Project Manager; Anthony Smith, Project Engineer.
About The Project
The $34.9 million Wanda L. Bass Music Center is a state-of-the-art educational facility. Its 112,000 square-feet doubled the size of the school. The new building features 60 new practice rooms, 40 new teaching studios, seven high-tech music labs, six ensemble rehearsal rooms and a black-box theater. The Bass Music Center incorporates new advances in sound isolation and acoustics that are state-of-the-art. The one-of-a-kind facility allows Oklahoma City University to recruit students to one of the leading music schools in the country, and allows the students to experience one of the most advanced, sophisticated practice facilities in the world.
The project architect was Beck Design. The building’s sophisticated design was the most significant challenge that the team had to meet. To blend with the existing campus architecture, the architects sheathed the building in matching red brick. The architect did not want to mimic the traditional architecture, however. The intent was to provide the music school with an innovative and modern interpretation of the campus’ gothic architecture. The majestic atrium steel required extraordinary precision by both the fabricators and the erectors to ensure that the building’s signature would make a bold statement. The atrium’s terrazzo floors and five enormous custom chandeliers combine to provide the university with its newest and most elaborate meeting space.
Beyond aesthetics, the building’s design was intended to fulfill several critical functions; it houses Mrs. Bass’s Steinways which is the largest single order for pianos in Steinway’s 140-year history. The order was ultimately placed for 105 pianos at a cost of over $2 million. It also includes a black box theater for theater students and provides the music students with numerous advanced practice rooms that have state-of-the-art acoustical systems.