Futuristic arches shaping the ceiling. Video displays with sound you can feel, with pictures you can almost touch. Holograms of players. Braum’s at every corner.
That’s what the Thunder’s next arena could look like. Only its designs haven’t even been born. So as of now, fans can only dream. Dream of a building that rivals the NBA’s best, a facility that cements Oklahoma City as a league mainstay...
...CAA ICON, which Oklahoma City hired as its consultant for the project, has an extensive NBA resume. Think of any chic NBA arena built inside the past decade, each one-upping the last — they’ve had a hand in nearly all of them. Sacramento's Golden 1 Center, Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, Golden State's Chase Center, the Clippers' Intuit Dome, plus countless other renovations.
That league experience is ultimately why the city went forward with the firm, MAPS program manager David Todd said. He cited CAA ICON’s connections and familiarity with the NBA, which should prove helpful when attempting to meet league requirements along the design and construction process.
CAA ICON will act as an owner’s representative, an outside entity brought in to advocate and oversee the process with the city’s best interests in mind. The city will choose its own architect and design team, but CAA ICON will ensure things run smoothly from there.
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