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City of Bartlesville

Posted: Dec 19, 2019 1:59 PMUpdated: Dec 19, 2019 2:44 PM

Guidelines Set for Upcoming Tower Center Contest

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Garrett Giles

The Tower Green Design Committee has established guidelines and rules governing an upcoming design competition for the Tower Center at Unity Square project in Bartlesville.

Co-chair and Vice Mayor Alan Gentges said this contest is for an interactive water feature or art installation to be placed within the future green space. He said the Tower Green Design Committee is looking for someone who will come up with a vision to put something in the project that would match what the space represents.

Judge criteria will be based on relevance of the artwork to the overall goals of the community, audience appeal, and quality of design. There will be a five-page document on the City of Bartlesville's website soon about the contest. The city's website is cityofbartlesville.org.

A tentative schedule has been set for the contest as well.

A call for the artist will be made in the days to come. There is a hope that the first round for proposals will be due on Saturday, Jan. 25th, 2020. The field would then be narrowed down by Friday, Feb. 14th, 2020, and a second round submission would be due. The design would then come before the Tower Green Design Committee, who will then recommend the winning submission to the Bartlesville City Council for approval on April 6th, 2020.

Gentges said this is expected to be an exciting, national competition. He said the contest is being mentioned to a whole bunch of architecture groups. It is also being sent to artists that the Oklahoma Arts Council has on their lists.

Sometimes, when you live in the middle of city with something as big as the Tower Center at Unity Square on the horizon, Gentges said you do not always realize the significance of it. He said when you have the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin-designed Bartlesville Community Center on both sides of a growing project, it is kind of a big deal.

It is a huge deal, really. And it is very exciting. Gentges said he believes a lot of people would love to be a part of such a significant project. He said getting an art installation or water feature added into the Tower Center at Unity Square is the best way someone can leave a mark on what should become a historic green space in years to come for the City of Bartlesville.

You never know how many people will submit their work, by Gentges knows there is already a lot of interest in this project. He said anyone can submit their designs, even you. You can have a lasting impact on a project that could very well be recognized all over the world.


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