As for these yellow beams, you still don't think they are permanent, because they look to me like they are in there pretty solid.

I think they are just support columns. I'll be going up soon and taking pictures, if they're still there I'll ask when I'm onsite.

Cam is stuck

I don't know about anyone else but I am disappointed with the glass that they put on the rotunda. if you look at the earlier renderings the glass was basicallly clear, and gave it some contrast between it and the tower. now it seems like they used the same glass all over and it doesn't seem to have any character

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=3747973&postcount=14

If you look at UnFrSaKn's pics, it sure looks like clear glass on the rotunda and the auditorium to me, however, I can see how you think it is the same, as it is sandwiched between the two blue glass buildings, thus giving it a blue reflection, but the glass looks clear to me. If you look closely, you can see the difference. The auditorium is plainly obvious that it is clear.

Zoom-in of the top from 8/10/11, 7:24pm...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RypoMWUnhz8/TkMow9jMnxI/AAAAAAAAN6o/L2sK2HpTEDQ/s640/116_5079.jpg

I am shocked with that steel being up like that! It looks just like the crowns shape with the slant on the inner part. I thought there would be more floors made out of steel. Or I could be right about the mechanical floors being a small section just big enough for the elevator core and we wont see it from the crown. Maybe we were wrong, Unless that steel beam section is continuing on with the V beams and then it could be still rising!!!

I am shocked with that steel being up like that! It looks just like the crowns shape with the slant on the inner part. I thought there would be more floors made out of steel. Or I could be right about the mechanical floors being a small section just big enough for the elevator core and we wont see it from the crown. Maybe we were wrong, Unless that steel beam section is continuing on with the V beams and then it could be still rising!!!

It is still going to rise until the V beams meet the notches. Somewhere back in the first 8 to 10 pages there is a cut-away view that shows the top two 'floors' of the crown sticking up above the roof. Essentially they will be a false facade. Kind of like this (picture used for illustrative purposes only). Since no one will ever see the roof unless they are in airplane you won't notice.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2393/2074309041_47c03a18d9_m.jpg

Here's where I think we are:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devoncross.jpg

Unforsaken, At the very end of the video you hear a guy tell another guy, close to you, to "stop him." Were they telling you to stop?

Unforsaken, At the very end of the video you hear a guy tell another guy, close to you, to "stop him." Were they telling you to stop?

LOL! I wonder what William was doing. :-)

I stopped by the Sunday night concert in the Myriad Gardens lawn adjacent to the Devon Tower accidentally (just didn't know it was happening). Watching a concert in that lawn made me feel like I was in Chicago or NYC. It is definitely the most urban/big city feel in Oklahoma IMHO. It's just a really great environment. The Gardens and the open area on the Devon property are going to really work well together. I really hope the buildings owned by Preftakes, the potential retail spots in the Devon parking garage, and the Garden wing help that area become more vibrant past 5pm because it has great potential to be something very different for Oklahoma. Very exciting.

Unforsaken, At the very end of the video you hear a guy tell another guy, close to you, to "stop him." Were they telling you to stop?

Wondering if anyone would notice. No, it's a worker across the street asking another guy to stop another worker who was walking by. They yelled this whole conversation from across the street. For a moment, I thought he might be talking to me but I just ignore them like they're not there. That's how I conduct myself when I do video. I had a few workers say "Hey" or "How ya doing?".

...but I just ignore them like they're not there. That's how I conduct myself everywhere I go.

Geez. I hope you are just talking about when you are filming so people don't bug you...

Geez. I hope you are just talking about when you are filming so people don't bug you...

Yeaahhh...

What happend to a couple of those windows on Rotunda?

Regarding the rotunda, sometimes architects draw their sketches with clear glass just to show more of the inside of the building. The rotunda is a unique structure in itself, so I presume the architect wanted to showcase its features and left the glass clear in the renderings.

Regarding the rotunda, sometimes architects draw their sketches with clear glass just to show more of the inside of the building. The rotunda is a unique structure in itself, so I presume the architect wanted to showcase its features and left the glass clear in the renderings.

That was obviously the case. How else could they show in the renderings that it was an open space?

I stopped by the Sunday night concert in the Myriad Gardens lawn adjacent to the Devon Tower accidentally (just didn't know it was happening). Watching a concert in that lawn made me feel like I was in Chicago or NYC. It is definitely the most urban/big city feel in Oklahoma IMHO. It's just a really great environment. The Gardens and the open area on the Devon property are going to really work well together. I really hope the buildings owned by Preftakes, the potential retail spots in the Devon parking garage, and the Garden wing help that area become more vibrant past 5pm because it has great potential to be something very different for Oklahoma. Very exciting.
Totally agree with this. Such an awesome perspective when you're at the north end of the Myriad Gardens. Hope it becomes 360 degrees of awesome when the Ford and Preftakes area is developed.

I think I may have figured out the mystery of the "V" and the yellow structure.

I believe what they will do is eventually drop steel beams into the pocket at the bottom of the V as shown in blue below.

Then, more steel will be used to form cross-beams more or less in front of where the yellow beams are now. The steel would have to be flush with the concrete in order to hang the windows -- and those yellow structures are definitely recessed. I believe they will be used to help them place the permanent steel and then be removed before the windows are dropped in.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devonv1.jpg

To bad we dont have that view as the webcam! This is fixing to get real interesting and I dont want to miss it.

Here's a better view where I believe the steel beams will go:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devonv3.jpg

So in your scenario we get a glass curtain wall where the yellow beams are now. There is then a gap of several feet between the yellow beams and the concrete floor behind it. Do you think they will put another set of windows there as well or do you think it will open to a 2 or 3 story atrium?

Here's a photo of the crown of Duke Energy Center in Charlotte.

You see they have a few recessed floors inside a V shape, very similar to Devon. You can see the diagonal beams and steel grid they created to hang the windows:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/dukecrown1.jpg

Do you think they will put another set of windows there as well or do you think it will open to a 2 or 3 story atrium?

It will definitely be an atrium. And I believe it may go all the way to the top of the crown because if you notice, the floor of the mechanical level is open in that area as well. I think the mechanical floor will be walled off at that point but the glass will continue all the way up.

In other words, I think the entire V will be an atrium on all three sides and you'll be able to stand in the restaurant and look up and out the top of the building.

It will definitely be an atrium. And I believe it may go all the way to the top of the crown because if you notice, the floor of the mechanical level is open in that area as well. I think the mechanical floor will be walled off at that point but the glass will continue all the way up.

In other words, I think the entire V will be an atrium on all three sides and you'll be able to stand in the restaurant and look up and out the top of the building.

Gotch ya. It will be very interesting indeed. Not only could you look up, but you could down at 45 degrees and see outside the building, or at 75 degrees and see inside the building.

Pete, You have any ideas as to why the concrete V columns did not get constructed on the 50th level? I am still very much confused if the mechanical floor will be built above the last completed level. Also, Pete, in that drawing of the building cut in half at the top, why wouldn't the mechanical area be the area where your words say 60' all steel crown? With that rendering it would appear that there is enough room in that area. And another thing, where the rendering tells us what floor level it is and what it is, on the right side of that pic, those drawings were the ones presented before they reduced the number of floors.

Holm, they probably only needed the concrete V on two levels to hold the steel beams to come. I believe the rest of the V will be framed with steel alone.

As for the mechanical, the top floor is labeled to be used as such but I'm sure there will be mechanical elements in/covered by the crown as well.

And yes, that labeled diagram is before they reduced the number of floors, but the crown should be exactly the same.

I agree and figured the V would consist of steel in the crown. I just thought it was unusual that it wasn't concrete with the rest of the concrete floor and columns. On those "pockets" that you are referring to, is there a hole where a beam will go thru or were you thinking that the steel beams will connect above and below the pockets?

What I labeled pockets are just notches where I think the steel beams will sit.

Blurry screen capture from a webcam today, but from this almost due-north angle Devon Tower already looks twice as tall as everything else:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon81211.jpg

http://newsok.com/devon-tower-set-to-top-off-next-month/article/3594216?custom_click=lead_story_title

ljbab728, that story made me cry. :-(

ljbab728, that story made me cry. :-(

Don't worry, Thunder. We'll find new things to get excited and argue about.

We're approaching 300 pages of memories. I don't think we will reach 500 or 1,000. :-(

Ummmm, I know we've been talking about the crown, but I'm pretty sure they're working on it now. From one of my favorite views (west of Portland, just south of NW 39th) which is 5 miles Northwest of downtown, there appears to be a fine toothed comb on the southern portion of the top of the tower ;-)

We're approaching 300 pages of memories. I don't think we will reach 500 or 1,000. :-(

or in my case just 73 pages!

I could see the tower really good from Sante Fe and Dandorth the other niht, could even see the top of first national and chase.

Ummmm, I know we've been talking about the crown, but I'm pretty sure they're working on it now. From one of my favorite views (west of Portland, just south of NW 39th) which is 5 miles Northwest of downtown, there appears to be a fine toothed comb on the southern portion of the top of the tower ;-)

They're definitely working on it. The view is MUCH better from the front, but this is the one immediately available to me, which clearly shows much progress.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U9lKk2neKxY/TkdNsiqjT6I/AAAAAAAAN8E/oWDQ0VFbq4s/s640/116_5081.jpg
(8/13/11)

Wow, we're not NYC... and how come I get phone books deposited at my doorstep every six months, not having a home phone line?

He probably thinks everyone throws their new phone books in the trash when they get them these days. I don't. I look for coupons in them.

Some pics of early crown work:

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4004/devon0814.jpg

Closer up:

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4518/devon0814detail.jpg

If a taller building is ever built in OKC will they disassemble the crown and move it to that building?

I know, lame joke. LOL

If a taller building is ever built in OKC will they disassemble the crown and move it to that building?

I know, lame joke. LOL

Nah. I think Devon will be pissed and build a gas pipe spiral rivaling all Olympic torches to reach a new high.

Here's where I think we are:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devoncross.jpg
Returning home from buying some veggies at the Reno/Farmers Market area yesterday (Saturday, 8/13), my wife and I parked our car and walked along Sheridan west of Robinson to get a look at the Myriad Gardens and the Devon tower. We spoke to the fellow who was making sure that people didn't walk into the Devon construction area and we talked about this and that. When the topic came to the restaurant levels (above, shown as two), he said that only one level was for restaurants. Now, whether he knew what he was talking about I don't know.

Perhaps this has been discussed before in this thread but I don't want to plow through 291 pages to find out. Can anyone quickly enlighten a lazy old fart like me ... one restaurant level or two?

On another note, we talked about the working elevators ... he said that after they reach a certain floor (43rd-45th, I forget exactly) that they get rather wobbly. Man, I don't think my heart could stand it, not to mention the vertigo effect! Wowza. The lower non-tower portions (rotunda and to the west) are simply stunning, as, of course, is the entire project.

49th and 50th floors will be the restaurant.

49th and 50th floors will be the restaurant.
Thanks, Steve. I can't wait to see the view.

I think part of the confusion over the restaurant space is that one floor may be for the restaurant and the other for banquet/event space, similar to the Petroleum Club.

He probably thinks everyone throws their new phone books in the trash when they get them these days. I don't. I look for coupons in them.

Nope, but I have purchased tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of advertising in phone books a year, so I do know a little what I'm talking about. Didn't purchase any Yellow Pages advertising this year. Phone books are all but dead, many cities are dropping them all together and most all cities will within 2-3 years and go to an all online format.

I think part of the confusion over the restaurant space is that one floor may be for the restaurant and the other for banquet/event space, similar to the Petroleum Club.

I suspected as much. They will be booked all year for wedding receptions and non-Devon events, not to mention occasional Devon company functions.

The Petroleum Club has been able to hang in there during even the darkest times and seems to be booked solid these days. I suspect there is strong demand for such space for weddings and various functions, especially as OKC and downtown continues to grow.

But Nichols has said this will be open to the public, so a different and more open model than the Petroleum or Beacon Clubs.

Also, if you notice on the cut-away of the top floors, you'll see one elevator only stops at the two restaurant/banquet floors. Nichols had also said that there would be a restaurant entrance separate from the Devon employee elevators and thus outside the security used for business visitors.

Will we be able to access these floors for a simple scroll through and enjoy the view outside? I'd like to take some pictures.

Will we be able to access these floors for a simple scroll through and enjoy the view outside? I'd like to take some pictures.

If you plan on eating lunch or dinner, or maybe just having a couple drinks at the bar.

If you've ever been to the Signature Room at the 96th floor of the John Hancock tower in Chicago it is also two levels with a dedicated elevator and entrance separate from the ones used by employees/residents in the floors below. There is a fine dining restaurant on the first floor (the 96th) with a two story dining room and then a bar/lounge and some meeting rooms/event space on the floor above (the 97th). Very popular place, especially for tourists. I recommend it if you're in Chicago for the views alone.

It doesn't appear there will be an outside area at Devon open to the public...is that correct?

If you've ever been to the Signature Room at the 96th floor of the John Hancock tower in Chicago it is also two levels with a dedicated elevator and entrance separate from the ones used by employees/residents in the floors below. There is a fine dining restaurant on the first floor (the 96th) with a two story dining room and then a bar/lounge and some meeting rooms/event space on the floor above (the 97th). Very popular place, especially for tourists. I recommend it if you're in Chicago for the views alone.
If you are going there opt for the drinks at the Signature Lounge, I have been to the Signature Room for dinner and the meal was OK, just wasn't anywhere worth the amount spent. There are much better restaurants in Chicago in the same price range.

Pics from ptcruiser4dogs on Flickr!http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5949853973_d0593b9168_z.jpghttp://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5939973518_98943b683e_z.jpg

It doesn't appear there will be an outside area at Devon open to the public...is that correct?

Correct.

dmoor82, very nice and shocking find. I can't believe people out there are posting pictures and graphics without sharing on this official forum/thread.

If you are going there opt for the drinks at the Signature Lounge, I have been to the Signature Room for dinner and the meal was OK, just wasn't anywhere worth the amount spent. There are much better restaurants in Chicago in the same price range.

Agree, just go for drinks or maybe an appetizer, you can work your way over to the window as people leave, usually --- my favorite place to stay is just down the block at the Drake Hotel.

Was talking to a friend who is an electrician working on the Devon tower. He said that the restaurant will be 2 floors, lower one for the kitchen and upper one for the guests. He also said that there is no 48th floor on the tower. It does however have a 13th floor. 49 and 50 will be the restaurant, 51 will be mechanical, and 52 will be the roof top.

Agree, just go for drinks or maybe an appetizer, you can work your way over to the window as people leave, usually --- my favorite place to stay is just down the block at the Drake Hotel.
That is where we stayed during our honeymoon.

Was talking to a friend who is an electrician working on the Devon tower. He said that the restaurant will be 2 floors, lower one for the kitchen and upper one for the guests. He also said that there is no 48th floor on the tower. It does however have a 13th floor. 49 and 50 will be the restaurant, 51 will be mechanical, and 52 will be the roof top.

No 48th floor, why? I find that hard to believe. There is a 48th floor. Devon shouldn't "lie" on that. Since there is a 49th, 50th, 51th, and 52nd, there is obviously a 48th in order to reach those higher floors.

On another note, we talked about the working elevators ... he said that after they reach a certain floor (43rd-45th, I forget exactly) that they get rather wobbly. Man, I don't think my heart could stand it, not to mention the vertigo effect! Wowza. The lower non-tower portions (rotunda and to the west) are simply stunning, as, of course, is the entire project.

Doug, I assume he was talking about the construction elevators on the outside of the building? I agree that would be akin to a thrill ride at an amusement park.

I went out there 1am to walk around and do some pictures. I was using an app to enhance the night light, but in that app, I forgot to check the settings. Found out when loading the pictures onto the comp, the file sizes are a lot smaller. >_< And that means lesser quality. :'-(

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-55-08.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-52-16.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-51-34.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-50-40.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-49-57.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-49-42.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-49-08.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-48-39.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-48-17.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-47-42.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-47-02.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-45-22.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-42-03.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-41-43.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-41-12.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-39-48.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-39-31.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-38-50.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-38-34.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-38-05.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-35-22.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-35-01.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-33-57.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-33-19.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-32-31.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-32-19.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-32-02.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-30-44.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-30-08.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-29-53.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-29-10.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-28-37.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-28-19.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-27-48.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-27-22.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-25-42.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-25-08.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-24-37.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-23-30.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-23-04.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-22-27.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-21-41.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-20-30.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-20-17.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-19-40.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-19-23.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-18-27.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-14-10.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-13-42.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-13-26.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-10-55.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-09-21.jpg

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Devon/C360_2011-08-1501-08-32-1.jpg

No 48th floor, why? I find that hard to believe. There is a 48th floor. Devon shouldn't "lie" on that. Since there is a 49th, 50th, 51th, and 52nd, there is obviously a 48th in order to reach those higher floors.

Yes there is a "48th" floor. But from what i am told when you get on the elevator and press a button there will be no 48 button. But there will be a 13 button. Most high rises have no 13th floor because of superstitions. The Devon tower apparently will not have a 48.