i absolutely can't wait til the building starts going up.... i hope that someone posts pics at least once a week! i would do it if i got downtown that often!

I think that the Colcord bldg. would be a good vantage point at least for awhile.

Nope. The Colcord is right on top of the site. Even closer than the current cam in Oklahoma Tower.

Points of View in Sketchup

Colcord View
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/COLCORDVIEW.jpg

Stage Center View
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/STAGECENTERVIEW.jpg

Arts Festival Tower View
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/ARTSFESTIVALTOWER.jpg

Lincoln Dealership View (Reno & Walker)
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/LINCOLNDEALERSHIP.jpg

Great sketch-ups! Do you have any from maybe the Ford Center or bricktown?

Ford Center would be a good cam location
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/FORDCENTERVIEW.jpg

U-Haul Warehouse View
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/U-HAULWAREHOUSEVIEW.jpg

Your points of view bring up a good question we've had in our office...is anything going to change with the Arts Festival this year? That area is a mess right now. Particularly Hudson & Sheridan which is where a lot of pedestrian traffic crosses each year.

Nope. The Colcord is right on top of the site. Even closer than the current cam in Oklahoma Tower.

I could be wrong, but pretty sure the Colcord sits back further east than the Oklahoma Tower. It would also have a better angle at the pit and the podium area unlike the Oklahoma Tower angle.

The Colcord would be a good view in these early stages.

I still believe the Stage Center and Arts Festival tower (nice call on that) views would work with a wide-angle, as mentioned before. The Sketchups don't account for that. Also, they're landscape rather than portrait.

In looking at different locations, I was trying to balance several priorities, including seeing the entire structure from base to pinnacle of course, but also for catching the podium construction and for framing the building against downtown.

This illustrates what I'm talking about. Sorry for the picture is dark and poor quality, but I snapped it in a hurry in the evening. While the entire completed Devon Tower would not fit in this shot judging by the crane, probably around 2/3 would. This was taken from about 50' or more FORWARD of where I am suggesting, which is in/on the building itself. I snapped this between the building and the street, on a little mound east of the driveway. It also was of course taken without a special camera or lens.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9314/sitefromstagecenter.jpg

Looks like they got a delevery of something. what u thant it is?

Looks like they got a delevery of something. what u thant it is?

I donty no. Eye kant reely mayke cents ovv wut u sayeng...

I donty no. Eye kant reely mayke cents ovv wut u sayeng...

Oh that's cold. lol!

Thanks for that. Im only 9 ok my spelling is not the best and im not that bright, so can anybody else tell me what are those long red things on the hill in the top right please:poke:

Thought you had to be 13 to sign up here? Hmmm....

If you're only 9, then I applaud your effort for being interested in downtown OKC and either new projects--such as the Devon Tower--or redevelopments... If you're really 9, I apologize. If you're not and you're trying to make me feel bad (which I don't cause I had no clue) then use the spell checker on your computer. Friendly advice: any word with a red squigly line underneath it can be highlighted and spell checked by your computer. Have a good day!

I am really 9 and i just love oklahoma city and anything that goes on. Its really exiting what devon is doing for us :)

I am really 9 and i just love oklahoma city and anything that goes on. Its really exiting what devon is doing for us :)

You got that right! Be glad it's happening during your bringing up! Ours was so boring--seeing the same ol' drab skyline year after year after years...

The view from Main Place to the west is pretty good. The only obstruction is of the corner where the conference building is going to be. The building is only 10 stories but a great vantage point.

From looking at the picture of the proposed finished product it will go up a couple(or more) stories at the size of the pit and then expand again to where the outside walls are set on columns. If you notice the piers being dug and set just outside the pit you can see where these columns will be set, which will end up being the outside walls. At least that is how I see it and am sticking with it until some one proves me wrong.

I believe you are absolutely correct, Popsy.

So, the floorplates for the tower will be substantially bigger than the area where the deep foundation will be poured.

Most the weight of a skyscraper is carried in it's middle -- through the elevator shafts -- so not as much support is needed on the exterior walls.

Yup I concur with what that statement. The floors will actually cantelever out from the exterior columns that you see a bit so the floorplate is just a wee bit larger than where the outside columns are located. The ground floor footprint will likley be a bit smaller than the pit as excavated. The pit is the mat foundation acting as a pier cap, and will act as a pad from which the core will spring. Surrounding the cores will be a circulation corridor that is wraped in glass curtainwall or structurally glazed as the exterior of the building at ground level.

Also notice how the pit is changing color? It used to be the light grey of the concrete and has gone to a much darker shade. That is becuase there is a ton of steel being laid and tied together and we will continue to see more and more of it fill in the depth of the pit as it is tied and the columns steel gets tied in.

It looks like the crane on top of the tower is floating away from the thing--why is that? All I see is a thin thread connecting the crane to the tower below it...yikes! Helium balloons?

are they going to build another tower crane? because 1 does not seem enough for this job. one more, why is it so deep from the street.

I would speculate that it is so deep from the street because Mr. Nichols saw what Timothy McVeigh did to a building that was built to the edge of the sidewalk. You never know when another Tim could be out there lurking and wanting to make a statement. Bringing down the tower would be quite a feather in their hat. I see this being the case with any other towers built in OKC in the future. It will make the urbanists grind their teeth and whine where and when ever they get the chance, but I see that as the norm from now on.

Weird!

I would speculate that it is so deep from the street because Mr. Nichols saw what Timothy McVeigh did to a building that was built to the edge of the sidewalk. You never know when another Tim could be out there lurking and wanting to make a statement. Bringing down the tower would be quite a feather in their hat. I see this being the case with any other towers built in OKC in the future. It will make the urbanists grind their teeth and whine where and when ever they get the chance, but I see that as the norm from now on.

Adding additional setback distance from the street does lessen the blast impact from a source to a target, however I would hesitate to think that this was truly the reason in this case, nor would I expect that a setback to be the norm from this point forward. I would expect in this case that it is more about creating a transition space from the gardens across the street, to show that Devon is an inclusive good neighbor to the city welcoming not only employees but the common pedestrian to experience the landscaped plaza.

I am not saying it wasn't a factor, just that I would be surprised if it was THE reason for the building being pulled back from the street.

After giving your response consideration I think that reasons you listed are also viable and good ones, but I still feel the Tim McVeigh factor played a significant role. As to the future, only time will tell. Look at Sandridge. If I am not mistaken they want to close the street in front of their building, take out the building across the street to the south and the west, but keep a buffer on the east. I will agree with you if Sandrige and Devon do not put up barriers around their plazas and buildings like the new federal building did.

Gen 70. I thought it was really weird that you thought my post was weird. Isn't that weird?

Ya know, I think Popsy was posting about the actual depth of the elevation of construction at this point. (maybe not)

....Look at Sandridge. If I am not mistaken they want to close the street in front of their building....

Sandridge is not proposing to close any streets.

actually something coming up out of the foundation!!!! Better than rebar!

Looks like some sort of vault.

why do they need a valt?

They need to get all of the mechanicals and utilities through the (soon-to-be) 12' thick slab. I'm pretty sure that is what that box is for. I suspect if you looked inside you would see stubbed-out sewer lines, conduit and the like.

When the building is built there will likely be a mechanical room above that space, to some extent that closet would probably be repeated on each floor, all of the way to the top of the building.

All of this is guesswork, but it's an educated guess and it's about as good of a reason as I can imagine.

when there all done are they going to put a stairs so people from the sidewalk can get down to the bottom?

The tower entrance will sit at the current street level. We are watching the foundation and basement being set.

The tower entrance will sit at the current street level. We are watching the foundation and basement being set.

ok i get that but what about the tower crane? the bottom is going to get covered by dirt.

The crane will be removed, and the left-over open spaces around the building that remain after they are finished with the various foundation areas will eventually be backfilled.

The crane will be removed, and the left-over open spaces around the building that remain after they are finished with the various foundation areas will eventually be backfilled.
how long is that going to take?

More recent pics from west side:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardsranch

Here is the URL to the photos. I cant attach it on the site so I wil just cut and paste it from now on.

Flickr: Richardsranch's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardsranch/)

Interesting photo, Planman.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4416225565_e6ed7350b0_b.jpg

Yeah it is amazing to see 6 Drilling rigs, 4 concrete pumping trucks and 6 cranes all working simultaneously. Talk about coordination! That truly is amazing to see how well orchestrated this project is.

I could be wrong, but pretty sure the Colcord sits back further east than the Oklahoma Tower. It would also have a better angle at the pit and the podium area unlike the Oklahoma Tower angle.

Of course it's further east. The point is that the Colcord is closer to the tower than Oklahoma Tower. The Colcord is immediately east of the tower, whereas OK Tower is separated by the east Galleria garage. See Architect's sketchup of the Colcord view for what I'm talking about. Yes for a couple weeks it would be a good view looking down, but as soon as the building is up to around 10 floors, it would be a worthless view.

This IS very cool indeed! But I say, why stop at 50 floors? Why should Dubai have the tallest building in the world?

This IS very cool indeed! But I say, why stop at 50 floors? Why should Dubai have the tallest building in the world?

agreed haha

It's final going up! but when are they going to start the podium and glass rotunda.

They are still tying the steel for the foundation. Once they get that complete they will pour the concrete, and then they will have to extend and pour the main columns up as well. then we will see the tower begin to emerge.
The podium building is ongoing and they have been pouring columns for that almost from the begining.

ok. but i wish they had a cam for that too.

have they even started on the glass rotunda yet?

have they even started on the glass rotunda yet?

My guess is that will be the last part done. They don't want workers and a lot of glass 850' below a building under construction. One dropped hammer could kill people.

Just curious but Is the pour today?? Kinda looks like they are laying planks that you could walk on while directing concrete from a pumper truck. Also is there a way to maybe zoom in a little bit for the pour?? I hope some people get some good pics to post for before and after. I would do It but I am stuck home sick with 2 sick kids. Love the Oklahoma Weather rollercoaster!

I download a picture from this webcam every day so that I will be able to scan through them later on after things go up and see the progress...simple to do and store on your own computer.

I download a picture from this webcam every day so that I will be able to scan through them later on after things go up and see the progress...simple to do and store on your own computer.

Someone went thru the trouble of making time lapse videos doing this. They are pretty cool to watch. The links are in one of these threads somewhere and are on YouTube.

It looks like they are setting up an east tower crane! I hope they are still going to start pouring the mat tonight after the Thunder game through Saturday evening or start Saturday.

Is anyone planning on making a long term time lapse viedo. Say.. pictures every hour or couple hours to span over several days?

- Nick

What is that "stuff" on the southside of the pit?

It looks like they are setting up an east tower crane! I hope they are still going to start pouring the mat tonight after the Thunder game through Saturday evening or start Saturday.

I was wondering about that as I was over at the site at lunch. Snapped a photo which is in the other thread. The were off loading the base when I was there. It looks like the existing crane can cover almost the entire site. Hard to imagine that it'll grow ~4 times as tall.

It's not uncommon to have two tower cranes on site, double the effort...........

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk92/gandjdunlap/Pinnaclefromconstructioncam1-18-09.jpg

Just curious but Is the pour today?? Kinda looks like they are laying planks that you could walk on while directing concrete from a pumper truck. Also is there a way to maybe zoom in a little bit for the pour?? I hope some people get some good pics to post for before and after. I would do It but I am stuck home sick with 2 sick kids. Love the Oklahoma Weather rollercoaster!

I just finished taking pictures of the site, but you'll have to wait till tomorrow to see them. (We'll see if I can get them uploaded.) I'm late for bed time now.