Principal Jame Anderson pointed to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., as an example of what can be done to improve and enhance an existing structure.

“It is also an existing building that we completely renovated and added an expansion onto,” she said, “and it is one of the most technology-forward museums that exists today.”

Like the Bible Museum’s rooftop, don’t take Anderson too literally. She doesn’t mean Tulsa’s design will end up looking like Washington’s and have a giant scroll and/or ark on the roof. But we might find some clues to how SmithGroup will approach the project.

First of all, in Washington, the architects preserved much of the historic building while adding unmistakably modern additions and interiors. They didn’t try to make the historic parts look new or the new parts look historic.

Secondly, the architects worked closely with exhibit designers to combine cutting-edge technology with ancient artifacts and create an immersive experience for visitors. We might expect similar interactive features to show up in Tulsa.