Holy crap. Those guys aren't screwing around.

My thoughts exactly. That is SO exciting!!!! :bow:

Thanks Doug. I shot hi-res (though admittedly not very good) and the rendering they used looked to be the "old" one, not the new and improved shorter version.

Let's try this pic thing:
http://www.okcreview.com/userfiles/image/DevonGB5.jpg

And here's the stage shot:
http://www.okcreview.com/userfiles/image/DevonGB1.jpg

And here's the latest rendering a la Pickard:
http://www.okcreview.com/userfiles/image/devon%209-09.jpg

Yeah, I really never expected the groundbreaking ceremony meant literally ground (or parking garage) breaking. I just got butterflies in my stomach from seeing that picture. It is truly beginning.

yes, I am so excited AND IMPRESSED to see how far they have gotten in just only a few days. WOW.

We may very well start to see superstructure coming from the ground in early 2010.

One more question though:

does ANYONE know what Devon will look like at night? I have NEVER seen a night rendering, only a sunset/twilight rendering in which the lights were on inside the floors (typical of office skyscrapers) but the rendering wasn't night yet, so nothing on the top.

Will there be something that will accentuate the building at night? I imagine it could be seen everywhere if there was even the aviation marker lights (if nothing else).

I would like to see blue neon light from top to bottom of all the corners and around the top. Maybe a couple of blue spot lights in motion shooting upward from the top. It's the way to go with this skyscraper.

that would be cool, thunder. And very Asian (Im in China right now, sorry - I couldn't resist).

:)

that would be cool, thunder. And very Asian (Im in China right now, sorry - I couldn't resist).

:)

Seriously, Larry will be insane if he doesn't think of and/or go with this plan. It's a different skyscraper than the rest of downtown, yes, but it is still ordinary, so do something different with it. Like I had suggested above, a touch of first-class lighting on that, now that will definitely modernize the look of downtown with a high-tech theme. The future is now for Devon, so let's do it.

(Does Larry ever read on here?)

Ahh, mucho better! As you said, the tower in the tent looks to be identical to the one revealed in March 2008 (may well be the same one used in the meeting). While the later image (immediately above) is similar, it strikes me as different but that may just be artist style stuff, I don't know.

Doesn't matter, they are both purdy.

Its seems to me that because the upside down triangles at the top of the building are just extensions on the curtain wall with no offices or such behind them... they could easily be back-lit with what ever color you want

Crimson of course!!!

BTW Thanks for those construction pics Platemaker......AWESOME!!!!!

It is true... although the signage is pretty damn funny... and confusing...

I just took these... here is the north side by the Colcord
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/northsidewallk.jpg

And here is the 'other side' LOL it's blocked off all the way down with that orange mesh stuff.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/southsidewalk.jpg

On the bottom picture, if you go around those bushes on the left you can get to the rest of the side walk past that orange mesh, the ENTIRE sidewalk is not closed.

Great pics!!! So....who's going on top of the Colcord today?

Thunder - Larry Nichols has no need to read a forum such as this.

10:20am
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/Devon100809a.jpg

Platemaker, ever thought of a construction cam? Would be nice to not have to wait for still pics of it...unfortunately its blocked from my vantage point.

10:20am
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/Devon100809a.jpg

Are they going to keep that fountain pool (where they keep loading the debris trucks up) there off of Sheridan or tear it out too? I always liked that sub-street structure when I was a kid. Hate to see it go!

Platemaker, if you can gain access to the top of the Colcord at any time, you should make it your duty to snap a pic every morning, lunch break and end of day if you can from an 'x marks the spot' type place on the roof until the end of construction and then do a speed slide show. That'd be awesome!!

Actually, that would be pretty fun for me. I plan on taking pics daily.

Actually, that would be pretty fun for me. I plan on taking pics daily.

That would be amazing! Im soo excited for this iconic new tower okc is getting!

On the bottom picture, if you go around those bushes on the left you can get to the rest of the side walk past that orange mesh, the ENTIRE sidewalk is not closed.

Thanks! I won't have to leave any earlier to get to work now!

They are really making some progress on demolition - can't wait for my bird's eye view (although not as high up as Platemaker's!)

Are they going to keep that fountain pool (where they keep loading the debris trucks up) there off of Sheridan or tear it out too? I always liked that sub-street structure when I was a kid. Hate to see it go!

Both fountain plazas are going bye-bye.

10/08/09 5:30pm
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/Devon100809b.jpg

Son of a gun they can do things when they get their minds to it! THis is after day 2 isn't it?

Tuesday they removed all the trees around the fountain... and then then you can see the progress on Wednesday and today from my pics.

Platemaker, do you have a website? Would be cool to flip through them day after day!

Thank you for all the pictures platemaker...

No one responded to my post yesterday so I'll try one more time...

Does anyone have a timeline for the project? When can we expect construction on the framing (aka superstructure) to begin?

Does anyone have a timeline for the project? When can we expect construction on the framing (aka superstructure) to begin?

Early 2010 is what it has listed in Steve's article @ newsok.

NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com/article/3406910?searched=construction&custom_click=search)

by late 2010, if the timetable holds, the superstructure should be close to topping off.

by late 2010, if the timetable holds, the superstructure should be close to topping off.

If they start it in feb or so it should be about done from a frame perspective by september or october.

Thanks for the photos, platemaker. It's great to watch something happening in that space. I can hardly wait to see something coming out of the ground.

Platemaker, any pics from today?

So exciting. It's really happening! (not that I doubted it) :wink:

What was the significance of the cedar tree? The pics on newsok seemed to highlight it but I saw no reference to it otherwise.

metro - I pulled the short straw and am working the overnight shift tonight... I'm gonna snap a pic when the sun rises though.

What was the significance of the cedar tree? The pics on newsok seemed to highlight it but I saw no reference to it otherwise.


"Topping out" is the term used by ironworkers to indicate that the final piece of steel is being hoisted into place on a building, bridge, or other large structure.

The practice of "topping out" a new building can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits of their ancestors that had been displaced.

I snapped some pics of their lunch and the ice sculpture (in the shape of the tower)...
I will post them when I get off work.

Since you haven't gotten around to it...

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/DevonIceSculpture.jpg

I don't know if it's because it's morning and my mind is clear or I just have a dirty mind but.....

Anybody got a Durex?!

I understand Devon is going to use this same tree for the actual topping out, then, plant this tree in the Sheridon/Hudson plaza.

Since you haven't gotten around to it...

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/DevonIceSculpture.jpg

I got knocked on my a$$ by the swine flu... And my wifi is messed up. So I'm currently rockin the blackberry. They can be viewed on my facebook, but I haven't had a chance to rotate them... So they are sideways. I snapped them just as the sculpture was put in place... Before it had a chance to melt. James Edward Smith - Oklahoma City, OK | Facebook (http://www.Facebook.com/edcrunk) (in one of my mobile uploads albums)

Seriously? Kinda random...

10/10/09
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/noname-1.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/101009a.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/101009c.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/101009b.jpg

Notice demolition of the garage bridges...

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/101009c-1.jpg

jbrown... not random at all... nearly all skyscraper projects or large buildings have this ceremony. It is a widely practiced tradition in most of Europe and North America. It is probably as common as other 'ancient' construction tradtions, such as: ground breaking, ribbon cutting, and corner stone ceremonies. Asian countries have other and entirely different construction ceremonies.

Here are two pics from the Topping Ceremony at the new Children's Hospital at OUHSC.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/topping_out_ceremony_01.png

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll14/Platemaker_photos/Tree_Picture.jpg

Fantastic pictures, platemaker - thank you for posting!

Guess I'd better take my camera to work Tuesday - could be some good photo ops.

i dont know why i thought they were only demoing that swath of cleared land, but not the shiny new parking garage (garage bridge as you pointed out). the best looking garage in the city. :)

They aren't demolishing the Galleria garage, just the connecting bridges.

Hmm. Never knew.

They aren't demolishing the Galleria garage, just the connecting bridges.

thanks for clearing that up for me.

I agree it's the most attractive garage downtown. The east section will remain as it is, but be pretty hidden behind the Devon buildings. I guess we call that density. Yay for that.

Is there going to be a live construction webcam for this?

Holy crap that was fast work!

Any pics from today yet Platemaker? Doug, you work just a block away, any chance you want to go snap some pics for us? You've got a great quality camera.

Houston Chronicle article:

Construction begins on $750M Devon tower in OKC | Business news | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/6655358.html)

10/12/2009 12:15pm


http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w219/ndobbs84/20091012_04.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w219/ndobbs84/20091012_03.jpg


http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w219/ndobbs84/20091012_02.jpg


http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w219/ndobbs84/20091012_01.jpg

Parking Garage Bridge

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w219/ndobbs84/20091012_17.jpg

They can really demo in a hurry!

Hopefully they are recycling a good portion of that demolition waste. If it is indeed a LEED project (do we know for sure?) they can get 1 point for 50% (of the total waste generated) recycled and 2 points for 75%.

Are they going to start on the tower and the addition at the same time or are they going to start the addition and rotunda later on so they finish at the same time?

Hopefully they are recycling a good portion of that demolition waste. If it is indeed a LEED project (do we know for sure?) they can get 1 point for 50% (of the total waste generated) recycled and 2 points for 75%.

points? are they trying to level up?

Hopefully they are recycling a good portion of that demolition waste. If it is indeed a LEED project (do we know for sure?) they can get 1 point for 50% (of the total waste generated) recycled and 2 points for 75%.

BG, Looks landfill bound to me, they are dumping combined debris: concrete, rebar and dirt into those trucks, not separating materials for recycle or salvage......IMO

And yes they are going for LEED Gold certification.

Anyone know what is next? By the pictures it appears they will have the east portion of the parking deck completely demolished and hauled out today. Will they be demolishing the west portion of the parking deck next, or what is next.