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Roman Nose State Park Lodge

The original Roman Nose State Park Lodge, built in 1956, is situated on a bluff overlooking the park’s main canyon. In the years since the lodge was first constructed, numerous additions have been made to the original structure. The most recent was a substantial addition built in the 1980’s. In August of 2007 a tropical storm forced the closure and eventual demolition of most of the addition. As a result, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department launched a project with STUDIOARCHITECTURE to renovate and expand the lodge. The project called for a new entrance and lobby, front desk, office suite, guest rooms, and expanded public restrooms.

As opposed to the rustic log and stone aesthetic that we associate with the idea of a state park “lodge,” the original Roman Nose Lodge was a forward-looking, modern building of the Atomic Age. Over the years, multiple alterations obscured the original lodge and resulted in a forgettable building. This project allowed STUDIO to reinvigorate the great mid-century modern bones of the lodge and use them as the basis and inspiration for the renovation.

The signature natural feature of Roman Nose State Park is the steep-sided mesas capped with brilliant, white gypsum outcroppings. One of these mesas is located adjacent to the lodge, but was hidden from view by the south wing of the building. The removal of that addition allowed the mesa to be visible again, but left a scar on the hillside. STUDIO included in the project a restoration of the hillside using native plants and stone.

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