Photo credit: Ben Bigler, OMES Outreach.
Oklahoma has unveiled the restored Art Deco interiors of the Jim Thorpe Memorial Office Building after a three-year, $70 million renovation of the eight-storey landmark in Oklahoma City. Built in 1938, the building has been modernised for public access, safety and agency operations while retaining signature features such as limestone walls, terrazzo floors, plaster ceilings and historic light fixtures. State leaders marked the completion with a ribbon-cutting on October 14, 2026, according to Oklahoma’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
Read more details about it, as per the report, here:
Designed for modern government
OMES Director Mark Wood said, according to the report, that the completed project honours the building’s historic character while providing the accessibility, infrastructure and functionality required for modern state government. Jim Marshall, interim director of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and chair of the repair oversight committee, said the investment would make the building easier to access, more inviting and better equipped for the work ahead. His granddaughter, Anita Thorpe, said it was deeply meaningful to see his name continue to be honoured in a place dedicated to public service, describing the building as a reflection of strength, perseverance and pride.
The renovation focused as much on preservation as on modernisation. Project teams restored and protected defining Art Deco elements, including the building’s limestone walls, plaster ceilings, terrazzo floors and original light fixtures. These details help the renovated offices retain the architectural character of the late 1930s rather than becoming a generic government building. New artworks were commissioned by the Oklahoma Arts Council under the state’s public art programme. The report also shares that Oklahoma artists Dr Jessica Moore Harjo and Erica Pretty Eagle Cozad created brass, copper and stainless steel ceiling installations for the first-floor corridors and sixth-floor elevator landing. Their designs use Sac and Fox motifs connected to the state flower, the state wildflower and the swan, a symbol of survival and resilience. Behind the restored interiors, the renovation reconfigured older spaces for contemporary agency operations, public access and safety requirements. The eight-floor building now has the infrastructure needed to support modern state government while preserving the historic shell and architectural identity that make it distinctive. He added that the agency was proud to guide the project from planning through completion. He noted that the renovation would benefit both the agencies moving in and the residents who rely on their services. For Thorpe’s family, the restored building carries a meaning beyond architecture and public administration.