Sooner, I think Chicago has 60 skyscrapers taller than Tulsa's BOK. So I think you need to exclude the 2nd city from that range you gave Tulsa credit for..

Well Chicago is a no brainer. I was trying to keep the lines straight as possible and the cities closer (skyline wise). Technically Chicago is closer from Tulsa going north, my bad.

I am in no way saying Devon shouldn't do this. In fact I think they should. OKC wants to be a top class city and they should have the skyline to prove it. However I wouldn't want to see what is happening in Dubai, where the tallest building is 1,000ft taller than the next closest building. I know apples and oranges and in two years Dubai will have closed that gap. Your are right about 150ft not being that big of a deal. It might actually serparate it from the pack.

BOK/Williams Tower has a pretty unique title. From Dallas (south) to Minneapolis (north) to Denver (west) and to Indianapolis (east) it is the tallest building.

Taller than anything in KC or St. Louis?

Taller than anything in KC or St. Louis?

Yes. BOK is taller than anything in both cities.

How's this for iconic? These are all architecturally feasible according to an architectural competition site where I got these from.http://www.treehugger.com/2008-03-23_095327-Treehugger-elie-gamburg.jpg


http://www.evolo-arch.com/images/asky_h.gif


http://www.treehugger.com/2008-03-23_095619-Treehugger-Alberto%20Fern%C3%A1ndez%20-%20Susana%20Ortega.jpg

http://www.treehugger.com/2008-03-23_090444-Treehugger-skyscraper-additions.jpg

no me gustan

I'm a fan of the first one. They are all pretty cool.

Hmmm.
How about a nice little spire? The new supertall in Philadelphia could be a great model for OKC. Iconic, yet still fits in well with the other downtown buildings. This is afterall not Dubai, as much as we love the innovative architecture.

We already have a great spire.

I like the spiral one.

After seeing all of the examples around the country of signature towers, I'm extremely confident that we are looking at a Devon tower that encompasses 50+ stories. I believe that the announcement gave the 37-story figure to make the point that this will be the new tallest for OKC. That doesn't mean that it will be exactly or near 37 floors. When Larry Nichols said that it would be at least 1M sq ft, he may have been thinking 1.5M or more to accommodate future growth. I honestly believe we are looking at 700ft easy. Think Charlotte when the Wachovia tower was built. It sticks out like a sore thumb because it is clearly the tallest, but Devon's tower will lengthen our skyline, as well as, add height. Just something to think about.:)

I like the spiral building as well. It would be unique and represent a segment of our weather that we are all familiar with.

I agree Johns.

I think it will be in the 700 foot range and be somewhere close to 50 stories! It will be good for Oklahoma City to take the tallest title once and for all

As a testimate to its renaissance and the fact that it aint all government jobs in Oklahoma City!

Of course, Nichols has to say things like "we don't care about the height, just the ability to house our employees" because to say differently would raise questions about this being a ultra-expensive ego project, and Devon has to please it stockholders first.

But every business man wants to leave his mark and real estate -- especially skyscrapers -- is very much a one-up type of thing. If you were going to all this trouble and expense, why not be able to proclaim your building as the tallest in the state/region? If you really want to promote your company and city, what is more iconic than being the tallest??

I'd be very surprised if that didn't end up being the case.


The only reason the second Galleria building didn't surpass Chase Tower in height is that a third building was planned for that site, that would have been about 50 stories.

Pete, I think the confusion here is in understanding the personality of Larry Nichols. By nature he's a conservative individual, not flashy - someone who doesn't want to be seen as a big ego demanding the biggest building. Will it be taller than 37 stories? Probably.

I understand that Steve but he also repeatedly refers to wanting the building to be "iconic", so he's obviously not too conservative.

Hey everyone. I am really glad i found OKC Talk. This is the perfect forum for us who have civic pride and like to talk about what's going on in our city. I have always been fascinated with tall buildings. City skylines to me tell a story of how the city has grown through the years. The age of the buildings, the height, and of course the design. Oklahoma City and Tulsa are great examples of this. The announcement of the Devon Tower just blew me away. I had accepted the fact that downtown OKC would most likely not have a new skyscraper in my lifetime (I am 48).

I remember too the plan for 'Galleria III' during the I.M Pei fiasco. This was supposed to be the third and tallest buiding of the Galleria project. I'm sure it would have been just as ugly and as cheaply built as the other two. Leadership Square was the only eye pleasing structure that rose during this era, but its beauty cannot be enjoyed from most viewing points. Too bad it wasn't designed as one tower instead of two.

If the Devon Tower is actually built, and the real square footage is 1 million feet or more, then I believe there is a good chance it will be the tallest building in Oklahoma. I am no engineer or architect, but I do know basic math. It would seem to me the height of the building will be determined by the 'girth' of the building. The BOK Tower in Tusa is a 'wide body'. I believe it has over 1.2 million square feet and tops out at 667'. Omaha's One First National Center is 900,000 square feet and is 633' tall. Kansas City's One Kansas City Place is right at a million square feet and 632' tall but is a 'wide body'.

Mr. Nichols stated that his new tower will be 'iconic'. Well, this could mean a couple of things. It could be the tallest, or it could have a very distinctive structural shape and design. I am hoping it is both. I do not know Mr. Nichols, but I would imagine if he is going to build an 'iconic' building in Oklahoma City, he would make damn sure it is the tallest in the state! Tulsa has been king of the skyscrapers for too long, and it is time to take our place where we belong. Our city needs this. We need something new and fresh to let people know we have began a new era in growth.

Too bad Mr. McClendon at Cheasapeake didn't build downtown. Could you imagine him and Mr. Nichols going at it to see who could build the tallest like the two men who built the old First National Bank and City Bank buildings back in 1933? That would have been something to watch for sure!

:tiphat:

Too bad Mr. McClendon at Cheasapeake didn't build downtown. Could you imagine him and Mr. Nichols going at it to see who could build the tallest like the two men who built the old First National Bank and City Bank buildings back in 1933? That would have been something to watch for sure!

Wouldn't it! What fun that would be to watch!

i think it is gr8t that the momentum is so strong for our city right now that
we are building a news skyscraper

as flat as our town is it will be visible probaly from edmond on a clear day as yall already know we can see downtown all the way from the UCO campus... also it will add depth and overall height to our skyline when view eastbound from I-40 and the airport which is where most of the travelers will first view our wonderful city

Do you think a 1000' height is out of the question? BofA Center in Atlanta tops out just over 1000' due to the iconic metal work at the top. The building is only 55 stories.

Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=bankofamericaplaza-atlanta-ga-usa)

Don't see why not, although it would indeed totally dwarf the Chase tower. I personally think about 700 ft would be good and we can STILL have a heafty, maybe off-centered spire, DESPITE the fact that we already have a beautiful one on top of the First National Center. Why not?

I would think even if its noticably taller it will still be ok, especially if we start seeing more towers pop up downtown. (If our economy continues to do what its doing)

1000' would be pretty damn iconic..... just by virtue of it's size.....

and it would be QUITE a statement.....

as flat as our town is it will be visible probaly from edmond on a clear day as yall already know we can see downtown all the way from the UCO campus... also it will add depth and overall height to our skyline when view eastbound from I-40 and the airport which is where most of the travelers will first view our wonderful city

I don't know if anyone has ever noticed, but on a clear non-hazy day driving up to Tulsa, you can see the BOK building from the Kellyville exit (about 10 degrees to the left of the interstate). As the crow flies it's about 13 miles which seems like a long way the way the interstate goes back toward ESE for a moment there.

Turns out that's about the same as from Edmond to downtown OKC. Another 200+ feet should do it (w o w). Can't wait!

how about a 700 ft tower and a smaller 300 ft one since were dreamin big.... j/k what I do think would b cool is if it started out concrete or maroon marble at the base and gradually turned all glass ...........the brick to represent our gr8t frontier past and bricktown and the glass to represent the future and momentum of OKLAHOMA CITY ( oooooh and don't forget a beacon that shines all over the city when lit at night.....if they steal my idea you heard it here 1st)

I really believe that the Devon announcement will spur more growth downtown because many companies will realize that if Devon can build their own building, they can as well. Chesapeake can't grow forever in Nichols Hills, so I predict that they will eventually have to build downtown within the next 10 years. Who knows what Fortune 500 company might be looking at relocating to OKC in the near future? Devon's announcement may just be the tip of the iceberg. There are also possibilities of a mixed-use tower going up like Signature Tower in Nashville. I believe it is a combination of office, condos and a hotel. Once the NBA is established here, this city will definitely be in a different league and we will get more jobs and entertainment options. I think this boom is the real deal compared to the one in the 80's. There's really no sign of a slowdown on the horizon.:)

I can't see Chesapeake moving out of thier campus, i see the just keep buying everybody out. I can see Sandridge out growing the KerrMcgee building thier in now. As far as this Devon tower, i'm sorry, after ready all of these threads, OKC is full of pipe dreams. i just hope this is not one of them. CEO's and developers can say all they want, untill i see construction, it's hard for me to get excited.

I'm kinda like you sgt pepp. but this kinda ain't a pipe dream the fact is devon needs more room and there still expanding wit their focus for consolidation they definitely need a new building and it will happen and it will have a gr8t view from the new blvd. and I don't think anyones touched on how powerful of a statement it will make when they do live NBA coverage and show aerial of the new building across the street in progress of going vertical people will soon look at OKC different....

The Chesapeake Campus got me to thinking. Most of the employees I know that work in a campus atmosphere hate it. I have worked in a few and I always found it very inconvenient for meetings, lunch, basic work, etc. Since McClendon is a big Duke University donor I wonder if there is any chance he might be planning a private university on his "campus". The architecture sure looks like a university. As part of the MAPS III planning there was a push for new University in town. I wonder who was behind that push.

Ha Ha, that what i have always thought Kerry. I think the last place i would want to work after years of college, is a college enviroment, but that's just me. i'm sure the Ches. campus is really nice. You're right Nawfside, the woul be an AWSOME shot on live NBA coverage!

This is an apartment building Sweden

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Turning_Torso_3.jpg/450px-Turning_Torso_3.jpg

Yay, Calatrava.

Yeah, I'd be happy if we got Santiago Calatrava.

I would love the Devon Tower to look something like this! THIS is ICONIC!!!


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Columbia_center_from_smith_tower.jpg

Calatrava: Love him to death, but I don't think his work is appropriate for OKC.

It will be a real challenge, but the new tower should have that iconic status and still complement the existing skyline. Check out the Wells Fargo Center on Emporis. It is stunningly elegant, and a similar, glassier, version would highlight the Deco tradition of the OKC Municipal building, the verticality of the First National Center, and the Modernist style of the Chase Building. If we really want to fit into the surroundings, we should have setbacks at the height of the Colcord and the Oklahoma Tower.

Any thoughts on this?

I would love the Devon Tower to look something like this! THIS is ICONIC!!!


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Columbia_center_from_smith_tower.jpg


Don't let the people of Seattle see this. They will start saying that we are trying to steal one of their skyscrapers as well as their NBA team. It would be nice to have something like this in OKC though.

It will be interesting to see how the Devon design blends (or doesn't) with the existing skyline.

On one hand, you want something tall and striking.... On the other, you don't want something that looks completely alien and out of place.

Unless, that is, you are hoping there will be more construction that follows the more modern trend and takes downtown in whole new direction.


The particularly difficult part of this problem is that OKC has had so little new construction over the last few decades that there is little in the way of a bridge between the 70's and now.

It will be interesting to see how the Devon design blends (or doesn't) with the existing skyline.

On one hand, you want something tall and striking.... On the other, you don't want something that looks completely alien and out of place.

Unless, that is, you are hoping there will be more construction that follows the more modern trend and takes downtown in whole new direction.


The particularly difficult part of this problem is that OKC has had so little new construction over the last few decades that there is little in the way of a bridge between the 70's and now.

That's a very good point Pete.....

This makes me think of KC's Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium.... They were both built in the 70's at the exact same time as Riverfront (Cincinnati), Three Rivers (Pittsburgh), Old Busch Stadium (St. Louis)..... those three stadiums were VERY typical of what was built at the time - multi-use, generic, round, pretty emotion-less..... But the people in KC had vision. So much vision that they built two facilities that were VERY unique and timeless - but also seemed to fly in the face of traditional stadium wisdom at the time.

NOW, though all those cities (and others not mentioned) are beginning to build unique, timeless designs that are exclusive to one sport. They are all trying to achieve what KC has, and has had since the 70's......

That's true vision to me, and I hope this particular project can reflect that same type of vision that will stand the test of time.....

sethsrott, that's a very very nice image. Why not steal it? :bright_id

Devon announced that they have hired a developer for their new headquarters.

Houston's Hines gets Devon's tower job | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/houstons-hines-gets-devons-tower-job/article/3235171/?tm=1209179944)

Here's the whole article.

1,000,000 at 22,000 sq. ft. per floor is about 46 floors, while a 27,000 sq. ft. floorplate would yield 37 floors. However, the article says a minimum of a million square feet, and I assume that means leaseable space, not including lobby and any other common area.



Sat April 26, 2008
Houston's Hines gets Devon's tower job

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

Hines, an international real estate firm that built corporate headquarters for General Motors, Gannett, Union Pacific, Wells Fargo and H&R Block, has been hired to develop a downtown Oklahoma City skyscraper for Devon Energy.

Devon Energy Chief Executive Officer Larry Nichols also confirmed Friday that an announcement of a renowned architect is expected within the next few weeks.

Nichols said Houston-based Hines was selected following interviews with several other leading international developers that included Koll Development Co., Tishman Speyer and Patrinely.

"They're all quality, very high quality developers,” Nichols said. "We could not have gone wrong with anyone in that group and others we talked to. We wanted a developer who was very active in building these types of buildings and had experience building high-rises with this size and scope and would have knowledge on how to build these buildings and have lists.”

Nichols said he also appreciated Hines' ability to order materials in bulk for multiple projects and its list of subcontractors.

"The numbers of all the firms you need to hire with specialties — think of the people who are needed to do the elevators ... it's a long list,” Nichols said. "I'm only gradually learning how long the list is. You want someone who is skilled and knowledgeable in that.”

Nichols announced plans for a new Devon Tower last month, saying he wants to build it along Sheridan Avenue across from the Myriad Gardens.

He estimates the building will be at least 1 million square feet, exceeding 37 stories, and costing more than $350 million.

Nichols, who has previously indicated he wants a tower that will be "iconic,” has selected a firm that has worked with legends including Cesar Pelli, Frank Gehry, I.M. Pei and Philip Johnson. Klay Kimker, Devon Energy's manager of corporate services, said Hines has consulted the company in selecting an architect and that a contract is almost complete.

"We're very close,” Kimker said. "It could be just a few days, but we don't know yet.”

Hines was founded in 1957 by Gerald Hines, and the company's first skyscraper was One Shell Plaza in Houston. The company has offices in 16 countries, with 63 regional offices in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, London, New York and San Francisco.

Projects completed or under way consist of more than 1,000 properties including skyscrapers, corporate headquarters, mixed-use centers, industrial parks, medical complexes, master-planned resorts and residential communities.

Currently the firm controls assets valued at $19.9 billion.

John Wood, project officer at Hines, said his company specializes in doing "signature buildings.” Recent works include 1180 Peachtree in Atlanta, and corporate headquarters for H&R Block in Kansas City and the Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha.

Height still being decided
"I think one of the reasons we're so excited and the reason Hines and Devon came together is Mr. Hines started this firm with the thought of using signature architecture to set buildings off and let the buildings make statements in the cities we build in,” Wood said.

Since the new Devon Tower was announced, much public speculation has ensued as to the ultimate height of the skyscraper. Currently, the city's tallest building is Chase Tower, which is 36 stories high.

Nichols said Friday he is still uncertain how tall the tower will be — and that the company is still evaluating floor plans that range between 22,000 and 27,000 square feet. That decision is key to the height; the smaller the footprint, the taller the building.

Wood points to two buildings developed by Hine — Omaha's Union Pacific headquarters, with 1 million square feet, standing at 19 stories, and Atlanta's 1180 Peachtree building, with 700,000 square feet, which is 41 stories — as examples of how floor plans can impact height.

Typically, Wood said, corporate headquarters buildings have larger footprints than do speculative office towers like 1180 Peachtree. The Omaha tower has a 50,000-square-foot floor plan, while the Atlanta tower's floor plan is 23,000 square feet.

The task of determining Devon's footprint is under way with the assistance of Gensler, an interior-design firm that has worked with Devon for several years on space planning for its Houston and Oklahoma City offices.

"We still don't have the answer (on height),” Nichols said. "We're still refining our own numbers in terms of how many square feet we need, which will be driven by our forecast on future employee headcount. Meanwhile, our space designers are looking at how we function and the ideal size of each floor. That should all come together in the not-too-distant future.”

This is the tower Hines developed in Atlanta.

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives/tallbuildings/08_Peachtree/images/thumb.jpg

Sweet...... I'm happy it's moving forward. I can't wait to hear how tall it will be!

cool beans..that pretty much tells me this will be the biggest building in the state.

cool beans..that pretty much tells me this will be the biggest building in the state.

i think the BOK Tower in tulsa will still be the largest.

Keep playing this parlous game friends. There is really no way of knowing yet how tall the tower will be, and Nichols himself seems sincere when he indicates he doesn't know either.

i think the BOK Tower in tulsa will still be the largest.

by biggest i'm saying tallest. No one knows how tall it will be so, my speculation is it will be the tallest. Nichols always refers to it as ''at least''this tall or this much floor space.

Just a little info on the BOK tower.

BOK Tower, formerly One Williams Center, is a skyscraper in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 203 m (667 ft) in height, the 52-story tower is the tallest building in any of the five "Plains States": Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, as well as the surrounding states of Missouri, Arkansas and New Mexico. It was built in 1975 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center in New York. This structure is very similar to the WTC towers in appearance and construction. BOK Tower's lobby has marble walls and wall hangings which have a noted similarity to the decor in the former WTC.

Just a little info on the BOK tower.

BOK Tower, formerly One Williams Center, is a skyscraper in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 203 m (667 ft) in height, the 52-story tower is the tallest building in any of the five "Plains States": Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, as well as the surrounding states of Missouri, Arkansas and New Mexico. It was built in 1975 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center in New York. This structure is very similar to the WTC towers in appearance and construction. BOK Tower's lobby has marble walls and wall hangings which have a noted similarity to the decor in the former WTC.
Yes it does resemble the WTC ,god bless the dead..but the boxy look and feel of that design is no longer iconic.IMO

by biggest i'm saying tallest. No one knows how tall it will be so, my speculation is it will be the tallest. Nichols always refers to it as ''at least''this tall or this much floor space.

Like I said, it will not go over the BOK tower's 52 stories.

Even if it will be shorter, it'll definitely look way better than BOK. But, I think it will be close and it would be a bonus if it was taller but I'm thrilled nonetheless.

I hope Devon builds something that meets the customer and employee needs, something around 40-45 stories.

If it is too tall, it make give the other skycrapers the appearance of being small.

.oO(skyscraper envy?)Oo.

If Devon puts a large spire on top it can surpass BOK in height even though it highest useable floor space is lower. The BofA center in Atlanta is only 55 stories but thanks to its tall spire it is over 1,000 feet tall.

Kerry, you are absolutely right. There is a common misconception about skyscrapers. Just because it has more floors doesn't mean it's taller. Look at the Sears Tower and the Petronas Towers. While the Sears Tower has 22 more floors than the Petronas Towers it is 32ft shorter.

Kind of off the Devon Tower subject, but the above mentioned towers dual over supremacy actually caused the Council on Tall Buildings to alter their categories on height. It was really interesting because this was the first time that the tallest building in the World wasn't located in the US and I guess they still wanted Sears to hold a title. However with the Dubai monstrosity almost complete the categories are pretty much a mute point.

Check out this page to see what Soonerfever is talking about.

World's Tallest Buildings - SkyscraperPage.com (http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?1178316)

What about encouraging Devon and maybe others to build the world's tallest building in OKC? I could see a building with wind turbines on top that would power the whole building! Now that would be a sight and unique. Plus the building would get a plus for being green. A model for the world!

You could make part of the building residentual, part entertainment, and whatever you come up with. Now this would be an attraction that people from all over the world would come to see. We become a destination city.:dizzy:

I don't think that would ever happen. The current tallest building in the world, Burj Dubai, is costing the owners about $4 billion. Now while I think that the tallest skycraper should be in the US, since we are the birth place for skyscrapers, New York and Chicago can't even seem to put together a plan to build one. It's a marvel idea but I just don't see it happening in OKC.

I don't think that would ever happen. The current tallest building in the world, Burj Dubai, is costing the owners about $4 billion. Now while I think that the tallest skycraper should be in the US, since we are the birth place for skyscrapers, New York and Chicago can't even seem to put together a plan to build one. It's a marvel idea but I just don't see it happening in OKC.

He who does not dream is lost in mediocrity.:tiphat:

Building the tallest here would be 4 times as expensive. Dubai gets almost free labor from surrounding areas.

I was working on the design of a huge mall project there and it was insane how cheap it was compared to American properties.

Ahh this is a good problem to have. Here we are debating about what kind of building the new tower will be. Years ago, this would not have happened. Hopefully more towers will be built and we get to do this all over again.

And for what its worth, Dubai can keep all their crazy tower designs...