Boathouse Row

[lasomeday]

I hate it! It is too cold and uninviting. Just think how hot it will be along it. Rand Elliott's aesthetic is not good for the river. I think all of the new boathouses are boring and cold. They take away the entire appeal of the natural setting of a river.

The river should be developed with buildings that are more organic. I like the first Chesapeake Boathouse, but he is trying to be too modern with the rest, and they look like a piece of paper folded in half. BORING and COLD! The landscaping disgusts me. Where are all the trees. Are they trying to accent the rocks along the edge of the river?

I like Rand Elliott, just not for the river.

[Pete]

Design is the most subjective subject there is but I really like the plan for this area -- and I'm not generally a fan of modern architecture.

OKC has tons of traditional and organic buildings but the boathouse area has the opportunity to be truly unique and iconic and I love the idea of neon... I've said before that the entire rowing complex lit up at night with the skyline in the background will provide a real signature image.

Also, Rand's designs always look a little stark and cold in the renderings but the end results are usually much more warm and soft. I would expect he will tie these structures into the water and the landscape much in the way he did the CHK Boathouse, which I think everyone will agree is a smasher.

I think this is one area where we should go bold and accept the risk involved.

And it seems the whole river area is headed in the direction of more modern design, based on the pedestrian bridge, Grant Humphreys' proposed development and what was shown on the Core to Shore conceptual plan.

I'm very excited about how this area could develop from a stylistic perspective.

[khook]

Modern design for the boat houses makes a lot more sense than some faux disney themed plan. Would a New England boat house really fit on the Oklahoma River? Oklahoma has always had some progressive architecture.... often times it has been beat down due to "conservative market" mentalities.

[Doug Loudenback]

This is just beautiful. I've had my nose buried in Capitol Hill stuff lately and I missed this when the news broke. I'm proud of Chesapeake and McClendon for doing this, and for the choice of architect. This project, a gift to you you and me, the city, will be a beautiful shining diamond on the river.

[kevinpate]

I'm not a mega fan of the design, but I am rather happy it doesn't have either a bison outline or a lil' covered wagon look to it.

[lasomeday]

There are many other ways to design a tower and not look so stark and cold. I can just imagine how hot it will be without trees and having the metal white/metallic buildings reflecting all that light. It will be blinding. This is a bad design for the river development.

[LakeEffect]

There are many other ways to design a tower and not look so stark and cold. I can just imagine how hot it will be without trees and having the metal white/metallic buildings reflecting all that light. It will be blinding. This is a bad design for the river development.

I think it's too early to tell any of that - the 3D model is a rendering of the building only. Landscaping and further development will really change the area.

[Rover]

The new tower and the boathouse designs display a world class sense of design and presence. Elliot is excellent at dragging OKC kicking and screaming into the modern architectural world. Trust me, his designs will help change OKC's image every time one of the events are broadcast or shown on ESPN, Sky Sports, CNN International, etc.

Good work Rand!

[Platemaker]

This is a bad design for the river development.

I can't say that I agree at all. The only thing I'm concerned about is lighting. Rand Elliott likes to use lots of colored lights... but tends to us flouresent tubes wrapped in some sort of colored plastic that ends up fading over a very short period of time (the Underground)... I hope for LEDs instead.

When you say 'organic' what is your idea? Modern can be organic... And I'd say the design is as organic as architechture on a man-made river should be.

[Platemaker]

PS.... why would you think it wouldn't have trees???

[bluedogok]

I can't say that I agree at all. The only thing I'm concerned about is lighting. Rand Elliott likes to use lots of colored lights... but tends to us flouresent tubes wrapped in some sort of colored plastic that ends up fading over a very short period of time (the Underground)... I hope for LEDs instead.

When you say 'organic' what is your idea? Modern can be organic... And I'd say the design is as organic as architechture on a man-made river should be.

Color LED's have improved greatly in recent years. LED's are getting to a point where they can emit more light with about the same initial cost and much lower life cycle costs, so they will soon overtake fluorescent lighting in use. Especially under the coming energy code that is being adopted, incandescent lights are pretty much going to be pushed out the door since they would eat up so much of the allowable wattage. I know that it is rapidly changing how we do lighting on our projects as The City of Austin has already adopted the new energy code.

[DaveSkater]

That's so cool. Rand is truly visionary. Bravo Rand!

[onthestrip]

Whether something is good or bad design can always be debated, but in my opinion there is always some value on just being different. Never hurts to be one of a kind.

As someone who has recently started to learn to row out there, I am looking forward to seeing this tower and the rest of the boathouses finished. It will make for a very cool and unique atmosphere on that stretch of the river.

[metro]

The new tower and the boathouse designs display a world class sense of design and presence. Elliot is excellent at dragging OKC kicking and screaming into the modern architectural world. Trust me, his designs will help change OKC's image every time one of the events are broadcast or shown on ESPN, Sky Sports, CNN International, etc.

Good work Rand!

I couldn't agree more. I personally love the modern direction it's taking. For OKC to do the faux-Disney theme or faux-Philly boathouse row would look out of place and that we're trying to be something we're not. We're not an elitist Ivy-League rowing town. We are a modern progressive city and the attitude of the boathouse row is reflecting that! Way to kick those stereotypes of our city.

[Will]

I've not heard of any kind of dangerous microbes in Oklahoma waters except for stagnant ponds.

It looks like a bunch of the athletes that competed in the triathalon have gotten sick. They don't know the cause yet, but it made me think of this thread when I read it.

Sick Triathletes

[lasomeday]

Don't get me started! If they would have tried to remediate the problems of the river and add more natural settings, the plants would have absorbed some of the waste/chemicals. The rocks along the sides need to be replaced with plants. You would be surprised how much that will help clean the river!!!

[metro]

There is already another thread discussing the triathalon sickness. This thread is more about the master plan/ design for the boathouses and the area.

[lasomeday]

A good design can help filter that toxins in the water.

[sroberts24]

drove by the other day and a lot of dirt work is taking place... look to be getting everything ready to start some boathouses!!!

The finish line tower i think will be an iconic symbol of the river much like the Chesapeake boathouse has been for the last 3 years

[Guy Noir]

drove by the other day and a lot of dirt work is taking place... look to be getting everything ready to start some boathouses!!!

"boathouses"? - I though they were concentrating on the Devon/OCU boathouse first. However, I have a particular interest in the OU boathouse, which I think is the 3rd one over. Has that broken ground yet?

[sroberts24]

yeah devon first but they are doing a lot of dirt work much for a long distance down the river so i'm thinkin they mite be preparing the grounds and landscaping for all the boathouses, whenever they mite be built

[warreng88]

"boathouses"? - I though they were concentrating on the Devon/OCU boathouse first. However, I have a particular interest in the OU boathouse, which I think is the 3rd one over. Has that broken ground yet?

Don't think it has broken ground, but it will be called the Aubrey McClendon OU Boathouse due to his $2 million donation. I think all the dirt work is for the OCU boathouse, the Finishline Tower should be finished by the end of next year and all three of the others will probably be done by 2013 or so. Not bad for what once was simply a creek. Now if we can just get all that contamination under control...

Question: For that fourth boathouse (fifth if you consider the Chesapeake boathouse,) do you think Tulsa or OSU would be wanting a permanent space on the river? Tulsa has a pretty good rowing team and I think OSU's is just starting, but I know distance is a factor. Thoughts?

[CuatrodeMayo]

OSU has Carl Blackwell...OSU actually has some sort of ownership of the lake.

[lasomeday]

warreng are you being sarcastic? I can't tell. Tulsa will never have a place on the river. They have their own river to row.

[warreng88]

No, I am not being sarcastic. I was trying to figure out if there was a state college that has a good rowing team that would want to occupy the last boathouse. I guess it could be a visitor's boathouse for the larger events. I know Tulsa has the Arkansas River, but I didn't think it was "row-able." Every time I drive over it, it is very low. Maybe I am at the wrong part of it.