Devon Plans Downtown Skyscraper

[SouthsideSooner]

There's an excellent story in Saturdays Oklahoman. It doesn't appear on Newsok.com yet so I don't have a link.

Pickard Chilton Architects has been hired to design the building. They are the same group that designed 1180 Peachtree Tower in Atlanta. They worked together with Hines, the group that's been selected as developers, on that project.

Nichols mentions that his favorite project of theirs that he's seen is the new River Point project in Chicago.



River Point, Chicago, IL : Hines Interests

"Devon Energy was born in OKC, grew there, prospered there and there is a committment to the city that is unparalleled in our careers," Pickard said " We're not just building a home for Devon Energy, we're creating a new heart for the city."

[SouthsideSooner]

A few more quotes...

" We've had the good fortune to be involved in projects that came to symbolize cities and countrys," Chilton said " It's a road we've been down before. This project raises all that to a new level for us"

"Pickard and Chilton echoed interest by Nichols in creating a special "winter garden" or "town hall" that will be a central focal point. Pickard said the only winter garden he thinks highly of is the 10-story glass-vaulted pavillion at New York City's World Financial Center designed by Pelli and built in 1988."

Attachment 188

"Nichols said Friday he hopes designs will be ready to present at the Urban Renewal Board meeting in August."

[SouthsideSooner]

The story is up on Newsok.com now.....

Devon picks world leading architects to design headquarters, public space | NewsOK.com

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer
A Connecticut architecture firm that designed Atlanta's 1180 Peachtree Tower and Four Seasons Place, a 3.1 million-square-foot complex in Malaysia, is set to “make a new heart of Oklahoma City” with a Devon Energy skyscraper

Larry Nichols, chief executive officer of Devon, said Friday Pickard Chilton was hired from among seven internationally-accomplished architecture firms the company has interviewed the past several months.

How the team was chosen “We started with the whole list of people who build high rises,” Nichols said. “We then came up with a list of six firms, and then had three finalists. They were all world class.”

The hiring process, he said, included repeated visits to the firms' home offices and trips by the architects to Oklahoma City. Devon Energy hopes to build a corporate headquarters on Urban Renewal land along Sheridan Avenue, across from the Myriad Gardens.

“Our goal was not to get the firm with the best name, but to get the one with the most interest in the project, the most engaged, one that would come up with the most interesting ideas for the opportunities this site gives us,” Nichols said.

Nichols announced selection of Houston-based Hines as developer last month. Hines and Pickard Chilton have collaborated previously on towers including 1180 Peachtree and the upcoming Riverpoint tower project in Chicago. But Nichols said Pickard Chilton was chosen first, though the contract was completed after Hines was hired.

“The Hines organization and Pickard Chilton understand each other, have worked together in the past, and to have that is always helpful,” Nichols said.

Devon Tower represents a homecoming for William Chilton, who lived in Tulsa until he was 9 and then returned after college as a building designer for ConocoPhillips in Ponca City and as an architect with Olsen-Coffey Architects in Tulsa.

Chilton first befriended partner Jon Pickard while attending architecture school in Iowa in 1976. By the time the pair decided to form Pickard Chilton a decade ago, Pickard had completed an 18-year stint working with architect Cesar Pelli on projects including the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

What's Devon looking for? Nichols, who has said he is more interested in a building that is iconic rather than one that is the tallest in the state, said the tower will “probably be more than 37 stories” and added “it's not going to get smaller.”

Nichols said his favorite tower design in the Pickard Chilton portfolio is the planned 50-story Riverpoint in Chicago — a detail that caught Pickard and Chilton by surprise on Friday. Pickard said Riverpoint is a unique project where the design was somewhat dictated by its riverfront location.

“It's an unusual site with strange geometric problems and an Amtrak line that runs through the site,” Pickard said. “There was only one way — a very sculptured item, like minimalist art — to fit into the site.”

Chilton said their task is to create a design that not only meets Nichols' desire for an iconic tower, but one that will also meet his expectations for making a statement on behalf of employees, the community and Devon Energy shareholders. Pickard said Nichols has told them he wants a tower that also will be “civic minded.”

“We've had the good fortune to be involved in projects that came to symbolize cities and countries,” Chilton said. “It's a road we've been down before. This project raises all that to a new level for us.”

Pickard and Chilton echoed interest by Nichols in creating a special “winter garden” or “town hall” that will be a central focal point. Pickard said the only winter garden he thinks highly of is the 10-story glass-vaulted pavilion at New York City's World Financial Center designed by Pelli and built in 1988.

“Devon, and more specifically Larry Nichols, cares as much about the public space as he does about it being an iconic building,” Chilton said. “We've had the opportunity to tour projects with Larry looking at what makes a great public space. This will be a building that will engage the public realm.”

Pickard said Nichols' approach to the tower, as evidenced by his desire to somehow connect it to the Myriad Gardens and improve it as well, is unique.

“Devon Energy was born in Oklahoma City, grew there, prospered there, and there is a commitment to the city that is nearly unparalleled in our careers,” Pickard said. “We're not just creating a home for Devon Energy, we're creating a new heart for the city.”

[betts]

The Riverpoint design is one of the most restrained of the buildings I found on their website. If that is Larry Nichols' favorite, then I don't think we will see something unusual, but rather, I would expect something rather sophisticated and tasteful.

[edcrunk]

yeah, that building was my least favorite of their designs on their website. kinda boring IMHO.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(throws tomatoes at larry nichols)

[Pete]

Wow, this keeps getting more exciting. Kudos to Nichols and Devon for going out and engaging such a progressive (and no doubt expensive) design and build team.

I agree River Point is rather reserved, yet it's still plenty sexy. Also, it's 50 stories and 1,000,000 square feet:

[soonerfever]

Well we don't have to worry about this Riverpoint Tower because its going up in Chicago. However it might give us an idea on what Nichols is thinking about. I do think that he chose a good architect firm. They have designed some really interesting buildings. A few pages back there are some pictures posted of their work. I think the style of the buildings they are designing would look great here in OKC. I just want somebody to go out and dig a hole or something and get this thing started. I understand it takes time though.

[Doug Loudenback]

The Riverpoint design is one of the most restrained of the buildings I found on their website. If that is Larry Nichols' favorite, then I don't think we will see something unusual, but rather, I would expect something rather sophisticated and tasteful.

It looks pretty stunning to me, something that would endure decades of "what's new today" sorts of things. Of course, I'll be more than glad to watch most anything going up up and up!

[OUGrad05]

I'm really hoping just for the hell of it nichols goes with the tallest building in the state. It's not essential by any stretch but I just think it would be cool

Hopefully by the end of the year we'll have a design unveiled so we can quit guessing!

[UnFrSaKn]

Anyone ever tried Microsoft Virtual Earth? I hadn't checked it out in years but they have some very recent "Bird's Eye" views of the city now. You can download the GoogleEarth type viewer from their website. Here's a screen capture of downtown that gives a good idea where this tower will be built.

Web browser and Live Maps are incompatible

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j2...owntownokc.jpg

I won't post the image since it's pretty big for some people.

[edcrunk]

i do like it's location and how it will add to the skyline. if you're driving downtown from edmond... it will have a "bookends" effect, since our tallest structures will be on both ends. and if you're on I-44 by the fair, it will resemble the new At&t logo (the old cingular logo with the descending bars).
also, photographers like to take pictures from the parking garage in bricktown... the building will add more depth to that skyline shot.

[edcrunk]

I agree River Point is rather reserved, yet it's still plenty sexy. Also, it's 50 stories and 1,000,000 square feet:

not to be picky, but the riverfront property is 1.2 million sq feet. that's like leaving the new AAA building out of the eqation.
and i guess everyone's opinions of sexy differ. i'd hate for you to be my matchmaker.

[architect5311]

Devon certainly made the right choice going with Pickard Chilton. I think we can expect Pickard Chilton to produce a responsible design which capitalizes on the site, the downtown oklahoma city built environment, and the future core to shore development. As they stated "A new heart for OKC"

We can probably anticipate a 675 foot plus building, with today's given floor to floor heights of 15 feet. Let's see 15 x 45 = 675 feet, add a mechanical penthouse and some design feature at the top, it could go 700 feet plus, just speculation on my part. We should expect to see something coming out of the ground summer '09.

Can't wait........................

[Architect2010]

Anyone ever tried Microsoft Virtual Earth? I hadn't checked it out in years but they have some very recent "Bird's Eye" views of the city now. You can download the GoogleEarth type viewer from their website. Here's a screen capture of downtown that gives a good idea where this tower will be built.

Web browser and Live Maps are incompatible

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j2...owntownokc.jpg

I won't post the image since it's pretty big for some people.

Yeah, that feature has been available for a while now...Also, if you haven't lokoed lately, they have updated satellite views of OKC. Before LB didn't exist and they were still building the Ford Center, now its been updated to about 6 months ago. Its pretty cool to see all of the dirt in DT OKC representing all of the construction going on.

Regarding that picture...I really hate those buildings connected to FN. They create a huge gap between a cluster of skyscrapers and our tallest Chase. That has always bothered me. + they are hideous.

One more thing. I have heard that Devon will be using the Galleria Parking Garage and it will be expanded. Are they going to be expanding outward or vertically? I really hope it goes up instead of out. =/

[Pete]

not to be picky, but the riverfront property is 1.2 million sq feet.

Not according to the Hines site (the developer):

The 1,000,000-square-foot building will provide efficient 26,000-square-foot floorplates allowing maximum space planning flexibility for all tenants.

River Point, Chicago, IL : Hines Interests



The difference is probably due to Hines using 'net rentable" and the architects using 'gross square footage'.

The whole reason I pointed this out is because Nichols has said they need a minimum of 1 million sq. ft. for their employees. Gross amounts include common areas and Devon is talking about something big along those lines on this project.

[Steve]

Pete, you're on the right track here.

[edcrunk]

okay, i concede on the square feet issue. who can argue when the slackmeister concurs.
plus, something steve posted on okmet gives me confidence that the design they come up with will be iconic and more memorable than riverpoint. ia.m excited that it will add to and compliment the myriad gardens. combined with the fact that this will be the benchmark design for an internanational architecture firm... it should turn out to be pretty sexy.

[Steve]

To be blunt, and I think I'm OK with the various rules I have to play by participating here - I'm getting a lot of indications the building will be taller than 37 stories. As for the design - even Larry Nichols has no idea yet what it will look like - so I guess we will all be waiting until August to find out he, Pickard and Chilton define "iconic." I have certainly received some mixed feedback on the Riverpoint building.

[OUGrad05]

To be blunt, and I think I'm OK with the various rules I have to play by participating here - I'm getting a lot of indications the building will be taller than 37 stories. As for the design - even Larry Nichols has no idea yet what it will look like - so I guess we will all be waiting until August to find out he, Pickard and Chilton define "iconic." I have certainly received some mixed feedback on the Riverpoint building.

So they'll unveil it in august?

[edcrunk]

I have certainly received some mixed feedback on the Riverpoint building.

WOO HOO... i'm not the only one who feels that way!

[metro]

OUGrad, the article indicated they were hoping for an August submission to Urban Renewal on their design.

[architect5311]

Not according to the Hines site (the developer):



River Point, Chicago, IL : Hines Interests



The difference is probably due to Hines using 'net rentable" and the architects using 'gross square footage'.

The whole reason I pointed this out is because Nichols has said they need a minimum of 1 million sq. ft. for their employees. Gross amounts include common areas and Devon is talking about something big along those lines on this project.

You are correct Pete as far as net to gross square footage. a typical rule of thumb could be using a 20% factor of the net area for common space, such as circulation, vert. as well as horiz., mechanical , electrical rooms, restrooms, etc..................

[okcitian]

River Point in Chicago look very similar to a 55 story skyscraper in Mexico City, Torre Mayor, which is the tallest in Mexico City, yet will soon be taken over by a taller skyscraper.

[David Pollard]

Riverpoint really does fit into the local setting in Chicago but I would also not consider it iconic. This building in OKC would look, well, like any other building transported out of Houston.

I trust that the brief for the architect will cleary state that the bulding needs to fit into the OKC skyline, but still makes a more dramatic (iconic) statement than Riverpoint.

[OKCMallen]

I look forward to renderings.