An artistic refuge, shaped by the echoes of Tulsa’s industrious past.
Project Vision
The Tulsa Artist Fellowship envisioned a vibrant, collaborative space within the historic Archer Building, aiming to foster artistic innovation and community engagement. This transformation of 22,500 square feet harmoniously integrates artist studios, gallery spaces, and communal areas, all while meticulously preserving the building’s original industrial character to serve contemporary artistic and community needs.
Preserving Heritage
Respecting Tulsa’s rich cultural legacy, the renovation maintains the Archer Building’s authentic materials and structural elements. By retaining exposed brick walls, steel beams, and original flooring, the project honors the building’s industrial roots. These preserved elements provide a tangible connection to the past, creating a backdrop that inspires creativity and reinforces the building’s historical significance within the community.
Engaging the Community
Strategically located on the northern side of the Archer Building, the ground floor is designed to actively engage the public. A welcoming lobby accessible from the west façade serves as a dynamic gallery for rotating exhibits, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the fellowship’s vibrant artistic community. The integration of a grand staircase and elevator ensures seamless access to the second floor, while also guiding pedestrians to a service corridor that accommodates seven large-format studios with overhead doors facing the alley. This thoughtful layout not only enhances functionality but also encourages public interaction and accessibility.
Dynamic Creative Spaces
The second level features 29 versatile artist studios, each tailored to a wide range of creative disciplines. Thirteen studios are equipped with exterior windows that flood the spaces with natural light, promoting a healthy and inspiring work environment. The remaining studios utilize dimmable solar tubes, channeling daylight deep into the building’s interior and reducing reliance on artificial lighting. The corridors on this floor double as additional gallery spaces, allowing exhibitions to extend beyond traditional boundaries and fostering a fluid interaction between artists and visitors. Complementary common areas, including a break room and storage facilities, alongside a spacious 2,800-square-foot outdoor terrace, cultivate a sense of community and provide ample spaces for relaxation and collaboration.
Advanced Technical Features
Each studio is thoughtfully equipped to support diverse artistic practices and enhance productivity. Compressed air lines and flexible power sources suspended from the ceiling accommodate a variety of artistic tools and equipment, ensuring versatility for different mediums. Acoustic treatments throughout the facility minimize noise transfer, creating a quiet and focused environment conducive to creative work. Dimmable direct and indirect lighting fixtures offer precise control over illumination, allowing artists to tailor the lighting to their specific needs. Plywood-backed partitions provide sturdy surfaces for displays and mounting, while dedicated work sinks in each studio facilitate easy cleaning and preparation, promoting an efficient and hygienic workspace.
Seamless Circulation and Services
Efficient operations are maintained through a carefully designed receiving area and a large service elevator, which handle the transportation of artworks, materials, and supplies seamlessly between floors. This integration of service corridors and vertical circulation ensures that both artists and staff can navigate the building effortlessly, maintaining uninterrupted workflows. The strategic placement of these service elements supports the overall functionality of the facility, allowing for smooth transitions between public-facing areas and behind-the-scenes operations.
Bringing it All Together
By blending industrial heritage with thoughtful, contemporary design, Lilly Architects revitalized Tulsa’s creative landscape and supported the local cultural economy. Our team provided the strategic planning, design expertise, and adaptive solutions essential for the Tulsa Artist Fellowship’s success. The result is a flexible, inspiring haven for artistic innovation that not only meets the fellowship’s goals but also enriches the broader community, standing as a lasting landmark of artistic excellence and community engagement.
- Art in project photos by Cynthia Brown, Adam Carnes, Molly Dilworth and other Tulsa Artist Fellowship participants.
