[9] Designed by César Pelli, the architect of the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the BOK Center is the flagship project of Tulsa County's Vision 2025 long-range development initiative.

[12][13] To achieve this, Pelli employed cultural and architectural themes of the city, including Native American, art deco, and contemporary styles.

[15] A 103-foot (31 m), 600-foot (180 m) long glass facade featuring 1,600 350-pound (160 kg) panels wrap around the building in an escalating motion leaning at a five-degree angle.

33,000 stainless steel panels produced and installed by Zahner continue the upward spiraling path around the circumference of the structure.

General concessions serve Mexican food at Wholly Tacomoli, stuffed pretzels and hot dogs at Backstage, gourmet hot dogs at Frank's, chicken baskets and baked potatoes at Fuel and chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers at Roadie's Grill.

Nearly $1.5 million was allocated to artwork within the building in light of a city ordinance mandating that at least 1% of construction costs for any municipal project be used for public art.

Tulsa's Arts Commission selected five artists out of nearly 300 applicants to decorate the interior of the building with the intention of capturing the spirit of the city and state.

Of their pieces, the largest is a cloud-like cloth sculpture designed by Kendell Buster that weighs 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) and hangs above the main concourse.

[21] A campaign promise by former Tulsa mayor Bill LaFortune to hold a municipal planning conference was fulfilled within months of taking office in 2002.

[22] Tulsa Vision Builders, a joint project of Tulsa-based Flintco and Manhattan Construction, was chosen to build the arena.

[26] The arena's schedule of concerts and other events began on August 31 with a community choir hosted by Sam Harris.

[28] Since its grand opening, the BOK Center has hosted many big-name acts such as Paul McCartney, Rush, Billy Joel, Elton John, U2, Justin Timberlake, Garth Brooks, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Guns N' Roses, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Wynonna Judd, Bruce Springsteen, Twenty One Pilots, AC/DC, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, One Direction, Brad Paisley, Dane Cook, Jonas Brothers, The Weeknd, Panic!

BOK Center later hosted second and third-round games in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship on March 18 and 20, 2011.

[33] The reported attendance turnout was seemingly "lower than expected", though it attracted considerable cable news and political network ratings.

[39] The arena won Facilities Magazine's Prime Site Award in 2008, which is based on opinions from representatives in the site selection industry, booking agents, promoters, talent buyers, and special event planners, who judge based on location, functionality, technical capabilities, quality of staff, food and beverage, lighting, sound, and staging.

[30] In late 2008, a survey of BOK Center visitors found that 96.7% felt the building's overall impression, staff, concessions, merchandise, and traffic flow were favorable.

Officials from Flintco and Manhattan Construction have called the BOK Center one of the best architectural designs in their 100-year histories of building projects.

"[43] Pelli reacted to the arena's completion by saying that it had taken a "life of its own" since he designed the building, but that the results were exciting and impressed him.

According to ParkingAccess, the BOK Center is located in the heart of downtown Tulsa, just a short walk from many hotels, restaurants, and businesses.