Devon Plans Downtown Skyscraper

[ourulz2000]

Why is everyone upset that the new building is going to be so big? Are you kidding me!

[sroberts24]

Why is everyone upset that the new building is going to be so big? Are you kidding me!

who is upset? i think everybody is stoked!

[edcrunk]

This one's for Ed............

thank you so much. i dig seeing how it may look from the various angles.

[BDP]

I wouldn't worry about it covering anything up from one specific angle. The point here is to create even more density in the small, but still dense core we have. If you spread it out for visual aesthetics, then you risk losing the advantages on the ground. And if you nudge it west to keep the Oklahoma Tower visible from a directly southern vantage point, then wouldn't it just cover it up from the southwest. In fact, then you may cover up Oklahoma Tower, plus Leadership, City Place and everything else that will be "behind it" from that angle. And the farther out you take it, the more cover up from that direct angle.

Sure, half a block may not seem like much, but tell that to all of the people who complain about parking downtown. They don't seem to like to walk much more than a block.

Really, the whole point of building vertical downtown is to create density and a synergy of operations. In the end, I think they can put it anywhere on that site and it will accomplish that, but no matter where they put they will be covering stuff up from certain angles, while significantly expanding the skyline from others.

You fools need to look at the downtown skyline from the NW.

Which is also why every place in MidTown needs to be thinking "rooftop bar".

[jbrown84]

But up until recently, it's always been presumed it would be on the corner at Hudson & Sheridan. I see no signs that that assumption was wrong.

[Pete]

jbrown, I've heard from reliable sources it won't be on that corner but further east -- closer to the Colcord.

They may want the main structure closer to the central CBD, especially since they want to tie it into the Underground.

[HOT ROD]

I love the artistic renderings, looks like it definitely represents a 750' to 800' tower. I hope the building ends up like this, and ends up at 800' with the architectural roof appendage such as what was shown here.

This is going to do wonders for Oklahoma City (ala Charlotte) - especially on game nights and/or when OKC makes the national news (hopefully for more positives than negatives) and they do a pan-scan of the skyline. ....

druling..... I can't wait!

[metro]

How about something like this for Devon, both iconic and LEED certified:





"Another greenscraper designed to harness winds at lofty heights, the Pearl River Tower will use internal wind turbines to keep the lights on. Fashioned like a giant wing, the tower pushes air through wind tunnels on two of the building's 71 stories. This eco-marvel of a building will also employ geothermal heat sinks, ventilated facades, waterless urinals, integrated photovoltaics and daylight responsive controls when it opens in late 2009. "


Uber-Eco-Towers: The Top Ten Green Skyscrapers | EcoGeek

[CuatrodeMayo]

I like those.

[Pete]

Nothing says more about a city than having construction cranes on it's skyline.

If you think about it, there have been very few tall buildings built since the 80's.

All those in Dallas & Houston were built in that era... Same with Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle. There are 3 taller buildings under construction in San Francisco and Vegas has had a real building boom but this tower should be taller than all those.


Put another way: Devon Tower could be the tallest building built west of Chicago in about 20 years.

[edcrunk]

it's interesting how buildings go up in spurts. i remember playing a show in dallas in 1999 and i was chatting with this dj from cleveland. we were commenting on the dallas skyline and the discussion flowed into each of our own city's skylines. i was complaining that nothing new had been built in okc's downtown for a while and he said that most cities hadn't added any skyscrapers in the 90's. i have no idea why i hadn't noticed that until he mentioned it.

[architect5311]

Going back a bit further to 1931, I'm sure most are aware of the great skyscraper race. The First National building vs. The Ramsey Tower (City Place)..........if not read about it.

First National after completion was the tallest building west of the Mississippi
until 1970.

[OKC74]

Wow...I didn't know that. It's crazy to think that OKC had a taller building than L.A. or Houston!!! At least for a while...

[UnFrSaKn]

4th largest...

Profile of First National Bank Building in Oklahoma City | Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City) | Find Articles at BNET

[OKC74]

Thanks...I thought that seemed a bit of a stretch...but I didn't find it totally out of the realm of possibility.

[architect5311]

4th largest...

Profile of First National Bank Building in Oklahoma City | Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City) | Find Articles at BNET

The above linked article states fourth largest building.......

This link does state both the FNB and Ramsey were the tallest for several years which is what i had heard..............

[url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20030902/ai_n10159187/pg_2]

Regardless, Oklahoma City had quite a skyline in the early 30's with FNB, Ramsey Tower, Biltmore, etc.

[OKC74]

I agree...it's too bad some of the buildings got torn down when they did during the urban renewal days...a couple of our THEN high-rises were torn down. If they had stayed, I would imagine that downtown would look a little bigger than it does now.

[edcrunk]

I agree...it's too bad some of the buildings got torn down when they did during the urban renewal days...a couple of our THEN high-rises were torn down.

i can only think of one. i remember watching it implode on TV as a kid.

[architect5311]

Yes, the Biltmore Hotel demolished in 1977. What a mistake a 33 story building.

Use to stand on the NW corner of the Myriad Gardens I think.

follow doug's link.............

Biltmore Hotel

[Luke]

Thing was a monster!

[architect5311]

More eye candy..................what OKC could be in ten years?



A new corporate tower to the left, multi-use in blue, and a new hotel on century center site, would be really great.

[HOT ROD]

Architect, I really hope your drawing is the design of the Devon Tower.

I really like it! It gives us 800 feet of height without having SUCH a massive tower (due to the ornate appendage at the top).

I like it.

[BG918]

That does look good. I imagine one day Myriad Gardens surrounded by buildings once Devon goes up and then if a new hotel is built on the Century Center site to north, new buildings go up where the Cox sits to the east (assuming a new convention center is built on the blvd.), and new buildings along Reno and the blvd. to the south. That leaves the Stage Center and the vacant lot to the west which would be a good spot for a condo tower to take advantage of those views.

[amaesquire]

Here is my suggestion for Devon's building... It's a building to be built in Dubai (of course) that has floors that rotate independently, like the top of Founder's tower, but way cooler because it's every floor. See it here: Futuristic Rotating Tower Skyscraper in Dubai » My Digital Life

[JWil]

Yes, the Biltmore Hotel demolished in 1977. What a mistake a 33 story building.

Use to stand on the NW corner of the Myriad Gardens I think.

follow doug's link.............

Biltmore Hotel

Wow... that think would look great in the skyline today.