I wish more hotels in Bricktown would take this approach. It seems kind of stupid that several of them have Sheridan or canal frontage and don't play up their restaurants/bars at all or have separate entrances for them. It's shortsighted and a huge missed opportunity on their part. Fortunately it sounds like some of the planned/UC hotels plan to do a better on that front.

I have literally never noticed that but do it all the time. Flint feels like a restaurant in a hotel. Viceroy feels like a hotel restaurant.

not really in a hip area, but Avanti up on Memorial is a great restaurant attached to a hotel.

They are getting very close to finished here.

Looks like the are keeping the columns in the restaurant and bar areas raw, just like ADG Architects in the west end of building.



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will 21C have signage on the building?

I can still see they maintained the Fred Jones Mfg Co engraved into the facade but would hope they'd have a modern sign to contrast.

I believe the only signage will be shown as below, which is typical of their hotels.

However, they usually do several outdoor modern public art pieces as well.

http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/development-buildings/8325d1403625736-21c-museum-hotel-21csigns.jpg

Was riding my bicycle around there Saturday morning and noticed they had already started putting up artwork inside.

Geez, this place pretty much rocks, what an amazing get for downtown. Looking forward to staying there.

This came up on my Facebook feed, they are having a talk next week with the chief curator about the art that is going in the hotel. It's open to the public, I may go just to check the place out. (also the wife has a degree in art history)

https://www.facebook.com/events/570781049747627/

^

Just so you know, this event is being held at Dunlap Codding on Film Row, not at the hotel.

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I get a big smile on my face when I drive by this place.. its beautiful with all the new windows and all cleaned up.. Love it

Looks pretty cool: http://newsok.com/article/5498998?utm_source=NewsOK.com&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=ShareBar-Twitter

I'm going to Mary Eddy's tonight for a preview tasting and will try and take some good photos and certainly provide a full report.

I'm going to Mary Eddy's tonight for a preview tasting and will try and take some good photos and certainly provide a full report.

I was there today and got a look at some of the art. There was a sign up saying no photography. Good luck to them making that stick.

I was there today and got a look at some of the art. There was a sign up saying no photography. Good luck to them making that stick.

A permanent sign? Maybe they don't want photos taken until it's open?

I went to the dinner last night at Mary Eddy's.

Once were were seated they gave us a printed list of 'rules': No photography of the space or the food, no posting on social media, etc.

I had already taken a few pictures and lots of staff saw and nobody said anything. However, once I read the rules I didn't take any more.

The restaurant opens next Tuesday and the entire place was full.

In order to comply with their wishes I won't say much more and just post the one picture below but will say this place is a knockout with a large bar in the front (along Main Street) and then a larger still restaurant space to the south. Not sure if you can get the full menu at the bar, as we ate in the restaurant portion.

The outdoor patio between 21c and Jones Assembly won't be open for a while, as I was told. The hotel itself will officially open June 26th.

There is a separate entrance for the restaurant but the restrooms are in the hotel lobby, so I got to see some of that. It's all super cool and they have installed a lot of artwork already. The hotel and lobby actually feel more like an art gallery than anything else, and in that way it's completely unique versus any other type of hotel Still really, really bummed the rooftop is only for the private use of whoever rents the large suite up there. So, the public will be confined to the ground floor only, unless they have a room of course.

I'll wait until they open to give a detail review but it was all fantastic and we stayed for almost 3 hours, as the space is beautiful and the setting is warm and pleasant, even given the modern aesthetic.

This will be one of those places you'll not only want to hang out, but go for nice occasions or bring people you want to impress. Very big city feel.

We were seated in a banquette a the north end of the restaurant; the large casement windows on the east wall are to the left and straight out the back doors is the patio. Those doors are actually the accordion type that will allow the restaurant to be completely open to the patio.

They had a lot of those purple penguins around, as it is the 21c symbol and they chose purple for OKC's unique color. The staff all had purple penguin pins.

Super excited about this entire project and as of next Tuesday, you should be able to get in there for a drink, dinner or just a look around. Most the lobby area is still blocked off but you can get a feel for the place.

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Artist statement on Red Penguin, originally in the Venice Biennale before appearing at 21C in Louisville

About the Exhibition

“We have sought the origins of life in the earth’s oldest natural material, that is petroleum. A black, dense liquid disgorging from the warm womb of Mother Earth, and the natural repository of the planet’s entire history of organic life-forms, from its origins to the present day. We have studied the technique known as ‘cracking,’ which breaks up this natural magma into a series of synthetic, artificial derivative products. We have discovered plastic, the most modern and extraordinary element that any artist can manipulate.

We use objects and shapes in plastic that evoke or simulate nature, so as to reinstate petroleum’s ancient, primary forms of life and imagery. This means turning life back in its tracks, as a way of finding the poetical voice an sould of art in the material itself.”

— Cracking Art Group

Cracking Art Group was founded in 1993 by 7 artists: Alex Angi, Kicco, Renzo Nucara, Carlo Rizzeti, Omar Ronda, Marco Veronese and William Sweetlove. They have exhibited widely throughout Europe and first exhibited at 21c Museum in 2005. The Red Penguin sculptures that are exhibited throughout 21c were commissioned for a public art project at the 2005 Venice Biennale.

“The group has chosen to express itself in atypical fashion through irony. After all, is learning not best accomplished when it is fun?”
Cracking Art Group: Nascita di un’avanguardia. Milan: Mazzatta, 2005*

Manifesto for the Third Millennium

Biella, Italy, 30 May 1993
The Philosophical Project of Cracking Art Group

We want to change the codes for the art of the future.
Art is as important as our own life.
We are men of the present and want our work to interpret contemporary problems.
Art and life do not exist without a wholeness of nature.
Art and culture are the only possible saviours of the world and humanity.
We have chosen ‘Cracking’ for our work as it shows the molecular fission between natural and artificial.
Our elected material is ‘plastic’, containing the whole experience of the planet, natural / artificial, ancient / future, and in which we seek the archaic anthropological, vegetable and animal origins, in order to build a new kind of iconography.
We are enemies of hypocrisy, conspiracy and suspicion.
We fight for the defense of nature and man with all our force.
We want to leave behind a better world than the one we found.

* Cracking Art Group: Nascita di un’avanguardia. Milan: Mazzatta, 2005 is a comprehensive catalogue of Cracking Art Group up to 2005 and is available at the 21c Museum Shop.

http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/louisville/museum/exhibits/red-penguin/

Why all the secrecy? Is this just because they haven't fully opened yet?

I'm sure they just didn't want people blasting things out on social media because all this was just a walk-through and practice for their staff.

Also, the food and drink were completely free. My dinner for two before tip was almost $150, as we were encouraged to try all the courses, have two drinks each and desert.

Is there a menu somewhere? 'Cause I sure can't find it.

I'm sure they just didn't want people blasting things out on social media because all this was just a walk-through and practice for their staff.

Also, the food and drink were completely free. My dinner for two before tip was almost $150, as we were encouraged to try all the courses, have two drinks each and desert.

That's in line with Metro. Glad to hear its not going to price me out.

I haven't had a chance to take a picture of the tree, when functioning yet, but the tree in front of Mary Eddy's puts out mist and looks like smoke is coming out of it.... Apparently today, while it was on, someone called the fire department and reported it being on fire.

^lol

That's hilarious

21c Museum Hotel opening Tuesday

By: Journal Record Staff June 2, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – 21c Museum Hotels will open its sixth property at 900 W. Main St. in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

The hotel is in the 100-year-old Oklahoma City Ford Motor Co. Assembly Plant.

The museum hotel will offer have 14,000 square feet of contemporary art exhibition space open free of charge to the public, a 135-room boutique hotel and Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge, led by executive chef Jason Campbell.

The first 21c Museum Hotel opened in 2006 in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Other 21c hotels are in Cincinnati, Ohio; Bentonville, Arkansas; Lexington, Kentucky; and Durham, North Carolina.

I heard there is a huge bourbon selection since it's owners are heirs to the Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort fortune. Woo Hoo!
However, I'm sad to see so many of my co-workers siphoned off.

Looking over the menu, it looks like they're branching out from the typical steakhouse fare, which is refreshing. We have plenty of that, and it's smart of them to try something new. I'm really looking forward to trying that porchetta cooked on the rotisserie. Like mentioned, their wine and liquor menu is extensive (and very nice for the price point). I would expect this with the Hall's owning their own vineyard. Regardless, the entree price points will be accessible to anyone... I plan to try this out in the next week or two.

Me and My GF we were driving home last night saw the light on the tower went to check to see if the hotel was open we saw the restauarant all lit up. Thinking it was a private event we snapped pictures of the outside and found it the restaurant and bar are open. The place is incredible it is partially open. What a game changer it will be and the tree was cool and will keep you cool. LOL 1265512656126571265812659

Very cool! I've been meaning to get some photos of that myself. Thanks.

Here is my original post about the artwork and artist; it's called Woozy Blossum:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=35667&page=24&p=926356#post926356

Just curious, do you think they'll turn the mister off when the weather is below a certain temperature? It's a pretty cool, interactive work of art.

Steve's update with video on Tuesday's opening.

http://m.newsok.com/article/5502586

I was bored this morning and I took my daughter to 21c to check it out, but it doesn't open until 3 pm today.

Is this just a big piece of art?12670

^

Yes, it has moving panels that resemble an assembly line, as an homage to the cars that were once built in that building.

^

Yes, it has moving panels that resemble an assembly line, as an homage to the cars that were once built in that building.
That's awesome!

Went to the ribbon cutting yesterday, and all I can say is wow. It was another of those moments I've experienced in OKC in recent years where I felt like I must be in another city. Got to see the rooftop suite, other rooms, lots of really interesting art and spent more than a little time in the great Mary Eddy's space. What an amazing addition to OKC.

I had stayed in the Bentonville 21c on a recent ULI trip, and it was very nice, but this one is roughly 1000x better thanks to the adaptive re-use of an already incredible building. The hotel is better for the building,a and the building is better for the hotel. Really, really incredible together.

Totally agree. We should be proud it's here.

The rich and famous have a lot of better options while staying in OKC with the rooftop suite here in addition to the huge suite at Aloft.

The Rockstar Suite at Colcord is nothing to sneeze at either. Some great high-end/boutique rooms in this town at this point. That said, we still need a luxury property with a standard flag.

agreed!

Hopefully First National will come through with that in it's tower floors. I can just imagine it being a Conrad by Hilton or even a Ritz Carlton.

Had dinner this weekend. Art space is serious cool and the restaurant / bar space is raising the bar for OKC yet again. The food production and service is severlery overwhelmed. Bunch of 20 something "chefs" on the line just standing around with 1 hour ticket times acting laisse faire and the servers are like deer in headlights. Seriously, seriously cool space though. And to the previous poster, the mist shuts off after dark. It was high humidity but it misted just fine. My straightening iron using wife used the side entrance into the hotel / museum.

Has anyone seen the lunch menu? It isn't available online yet. Curious to offerings and prices. Looking at $15 burger on bar menu leads me to believe that it will be to expensive for most of the average employees in that area as far a regular lunch rotation place. However, may be a nice place to take employees out to lunch for special occasions

Had dinner this weekend. Art space is serious cool and the restaurant / bar space is raising the bar for OKC yet again. The food production and service is severlery overwhelmed. Bunch of 20 something "chefs" on the line just standing around with 1 hour ticket times acting laisse faire and the servers are like deer in headlights. Seriously, seriously cool space though. And to the previous poster, the mist shuts off after dark. It was high humidity but it misted just fine. My straightening iron using wife used the side entrance into the hotel / museum.

Super difficult to find adequate personnel in this industry right now in okc. Concepts are outpacing the existing talent pool. A lot of the people getting picked up by places like this don't have exposure to good food and quality service environments and have no concept of the level of service and professionalism expected at a place like this.

^

Right, and we all saw this coming miles away.

Probably over a hundred new restaurants and bars have opened in just the last couple of years and it's not like people are moving to OKC to wait tables and tend bar.

Lots of poaching of good staff but still not nearly enough experienced people to go around.

I went to go look at it yesterday and got a tour of a few of the different rooms. All the pictures I got are in Steve's video so I won't post any. But I wanted to say it something you have to see in person, even the bathroom is amazing. Also, the museum is open 24/7 , I think this hotel is the best in OKC. I'm a huge fan of Aloft and Colcord and of course the Skirvin but this hotel is something special. Everyone has to go check it out.

Does anyone know if the bar and patio are open to the public yet? I'd like to arrange a work happy hour on the patio but I haven't seen it in operation. Thanks all

Does anyone know if the bar and patio are open to the public yet? I'd like to arrange a work happy hour on the patio but I haven't seen it in operation. Thanks all

They had said that although it's largely finished, it wouldn't open until sometime in the summer.

My guess is they don't want to stretch their waitstaff until they are a bit more seasoned.

I stopped by here last night with a guest visiting OKC for the first time, and everyone was really impressed. The concept is unique, classy, and well executed. I was really impressed. I recommend grabbing a drink from the bar and just taking in all the art. It's a great way to spend 30-60 minutes.

Anyone have recent or follow-up reviews on the restaurant?

Mary Eddy's was excellent. Extremely busy, but great service. Red Snapper and rotisserie chicken are fantastic. The staff also brings around the purple penguin for the table to take pictures with. The bar is large and has a great vibe.

After dinner we checked out the museum, which is top notch. Also open 24hr and they welcome the late nighters just leaving some of the local watering holes.

All around great experience can't wait to go back!

I know this term gets thrown around a lot, but Mary Eddy and 21c are truly "big city"; you certainly feel it every time you go in there.

I can't imagine how different that area is going to feel with the Residences and Jones Assembly.

Was thinking the exact same thing... The density alone will add to the atmosphere in the restaurant.

The skyline view from the penthouse is one of the best in the city. Can also see the wheeler park ferris wheel from west side on penthouse.

This entire area is going to be so much fun in the years to come. Now if we can just get that jail out of there.

^

I'm still really upset that 21c didn't use the rooftop for a bar so the whole town could enjoy it.

Especially since they prominently feature rooftop bars at several of their other locations. Incredibly big missed opportunity IMO.

Think it is set up in such a way it wouldn't be too difficult to convert it. But def agree it would be top 3 rooftop bars in the city quite possibly the best.

I just don't understand the thinking of making it a private suite as opposed to a space for the whole city to enjoy.

I was really upset when I first saw the plans because that little building up there is tailor made for a rooftop bar and that is a big part of the 21c's. It's like they went out of their way not to do it for some reason. Very strange.

It is a very strange setup as well. It is almost 2 private rooms with a common area.

Can you give me an idea what the atmosphere is like? I know that is subjective, and likely dictated by day and time, but where would it fall on the spectrum of "loud and fun" versus "quiet and reserved"?

Can you give me an idea what the atmosphere is like? I know that is subjective, and likely dictated by day and time, but where would it fall on the spectrum of "loud and fun" versus "quiet and reserved"?

In one word, classy. It's just got an upscale, but relaxed, feel.

In one word, classy. It's just got an upscale, but relaxed, feel.

Agree. We went last Sunday about noon to look at the art. At that time, there were not very many people there. Everyone on their staff was friendly. The restaurant is beautiful. We're looking forward to going back for a meal.

We had friends with us from Texas. They were really impressed. It made us so proud of our city.