Century Center

[BoulderSooner]

Your point #1 is what concerns me about the new convention center proposal. People instinctively don't "cut through" buildings to get where they want to go. I think Devon will also learn quickly that their rotunda doesn't attract the crowd they are hoping for.

the devon rotunda will look very nice (goal 1) and all the devon employees will walk through it almost every day to go to lunch in the garden wing and to go to the meeting space in the garden wing ..

[Just the facts]

I wasn't talking about the employees.

[MDot]

I wasn't talking about the employees.

We know what you meant buddy, we know. LOL

[Just the facts]

We know what you meant buddy, we know. LOL

Actually I didn't mean it like that. They will be disappointed in quantity, not the quality.

[BoulderSooner]

I wasn't talking about the employees.

and devon doesn't really care if others come to their rotunda ..

[Just the facts]

and devon doesn't really care if others come to their rotunda ..

That is what I am saying. They open it the public but why would a random person go in there after the novelty wears off? How is the garden wing/rotunda different from Century Center in function for the non-employee?

[BoulderSooner]

That is what I am saying. They open it the public but why would a random person go in there after the novelty wears off? How is the garden wing/rotunda different from Century Center in function for the non-employee?

i'm sure the public will enter the rotunda to go eat in the garden wing

[Just the facts]

i'm sure the public will enter the rotunda to go eat in the garden wing

Restaurants at the century center thought the same thing. So they built this version between a parking garage and the new convention center. Maybe it will work this time.

[OKCisOK4me]

I'm betting it will work

[Steve]

Restaurants at the century center thought the same thing. So they built this version between a parking garage and the new convention center. Maybe it will work this time.

Wow. Not even sure how to react or comprehend this comparison. KFC failed on NW 23. So by the logic of this thread, so will the new restaurant set to open in one year atop Devon tower.

[Rover]

Wow. Not even sure how to react or comprehend this comparison. KFC failed on NW 23. So by the logic of this thread, so will the new restaurant set to open in one year atop Devon tower.

LOL. Some posters just like to be critical and argue. Logic doesn't enter into it.

Century Center was never very well designed IMHO. The ventilation wasn't very good and restaurant odors permeated the hallways. It seemed like the building was designed for no particular usage. As they say, a point in all directions is no point at all. Hopefully it gets totally rethought.

[Just the facts]

Wow. Not even sure how to react or comprehend this comparison. KFC failed on NW 23. So by the logic of this thread, so will the new restaurant set to open in one year atop Devon tower.

I'm not saying it will fail, I am saying that they are trying the same concept but with glass instead of concrete. People instinctively don't go into office buildings unless they work there. The new garden wing is built between a parking garage (literally at the end of dead end street so good luck getting women to walk down that stretch of Harvey at night) and a park that has its own food service. On the other side of the park will be a monolithic convention center. Now granted the garden wing will have 4,000 employees attached to it so it will fair much better than CC that only had a 300 room hotel attached. The rotunda was billed as a tourist attraction so I am asking; what tourist and what is the attraction? Other than the novelty I am not seeing it, and novelty has a short shelf life.

As for the top floor restaurant – that has a legitimate attraction but once again is far removed from foot traffic and is accessible by going into an office building. However, I am sure it will have a steady clientele because it won’t depend on walk-up diners. Now if the restaurant in the garden wing was directly accesible from the outside it would be a different story.

But as always, if in 2 years I am wrong I will gladly admit it. I was wrong about Bass Pro so I might be wrong about this.

[Laramie]

Patrick's right, it's the "mall" problem. If there was a way to have the retail face the street it would make all the difference. As for the rest of it, barring some radical renovation, I surely couldn't oppose the wrecking ball and starting over.

I.M. Pei who initially designed the gardens & Galleria in the 60s was very disappointed with the underground concourse taking people off the streets. He stated that it killed the life of what could have been a very vibrant downton.

[Spartan]

The last 6-7 posts have me confused. So.. what does KFC on 23rd have to do with Devon?

[Just the facts]

The last 6-7 posts have me confused. So.. what does KFC on 23rd have to do with Devon?

Cliffs Notes Version:

JTF: Devon repeating Century Center model with Garden Wing
Steve: That is like saying KFC closed so every restaurant in the area will close

There - you are all caught up.

[Steve]

I.M. Pei who initially designed the gardens & Galleria in the 60s was very disappointed with the underground concourse taking people off the streets. He stated that it killed the life of what could have been a very vibrant downton.

Sourcing please... not disputing this, just never saw this in any of my research and would value this added insight into his thinking, planning for OKC

[Steve]

Cliffs Notes Version:

JTF: Devon repeating Century Center model with Garden Wing
Steve: That is like saying KFC closed so every restaurant in the area will close

There - you are all caught up.

,
I'm disputing whether there is any way to compare the rotunda to century center. They are two very, very different buildings, purposes, etc. It would be more accurate to compare the rotunda to the atrium at Leadership Square

[Just the facts]

,
I'm disputing whether there is any way to compare the rotunda to century center. They are two very, very different buildings, purposes, etc. It would be more accurate to compare the rotunda to the atrium at Leadership Square

You're right, I am kind of combining two different strucutres - the rotunda and the garden wing. It is the garden wing (with its cafeteria that will be open to the public) that I am comparing to the CC. I just don't think many non-Devon employees will be going there after the newness wears off. If they are counting on the non-employees to make it succesful I think they will be disappointed. That was really my only point in that regards.

The rotunda is also open to the public and I have heard numerous times that they (Devon) thinks people will use the rotunda as a cut-through to get to MBG. I just don't see that happening.

[Steve]

I would urge you to just wait and see how it all fits together and looks before making any judgment. But seriously, no disrespect intended, but to compare anything on this block to Century Center is a bit crazy.

[ljbab728]

Your point #1 is what concerns me about the new convention center proposal. People instinctively don't "cut through" buildings to get where they want to go. I think Devon will also learn quickly that their rotunda doesn't attract the crowd they are hoping for.

Kerry, why do you think the rotunda was built to attract crowds? It is part of the corporate headquarters and, as such, was built to serve the purpose of the headquarters building. It's not a public building.

[ljbab728]

The rotunda was billed as a tourist attraction so I am asking; what tourist and what is the attraction? Other than the novelty I am not seeing it, and novelty has a short shelf life.

When was the rotunda ever billed as a tourist attraction? I've never heard that before. It's been considered by many to be a very attractive part of the office complex but it's not something that tourists would come here to see and Devon never built it with that purpose in mind.

[Rover]

If the rotunda is a tourist site we need to fire all the State of Ok Tourism Dept. officials.

[Rover]

The Garden Wing and rotunda is awful design anyway....it is not built up to the sidewalk. There is too much grass in front. Needs to be in Edmond. Now the Century Center....that is great....built right up close to the street.

[Just the facts]

I'll tell you what - I am perfectly willing to wait and see how it turns out for downtown. Where do these 2,000 people eat now? Where will they eat next year?

[Steve]

I've never heard of anyone promoting the Rotunda as a tourist attraction. It and the Garden Wing are first, and foremost, designed as part of a corporate headquarters. They are intended to provide public spaces for employees to mix, and to meet with people from outside the company. It's for collaboration and civic activities.