Thread: OKC UGLIEST Building?

For me, it's always been the AT&T Building and annex, especially since it's so visible when viewing our skyline from the north:

I kind of like the new federal building. AT&T is pretty bad, but I'm going with... Sandridge. It's really visible and just looks terrible IMHO. I think it's crazy they're putting all that money into it.

The Oil Center on NW Expressway is just a mass of painted, pre-fab concrete.

There are a bunch of others built the same way in the 70's and 80's, but this is the biggest and most noticeable:

These things on EK Gaylord downtown are not only ugly, the exterior concrete is crumbling and flaking:

Originally Posted by Pete

These things on EK Gaylord downtown are not only ugly, the exterior concrete is crumbling and flaking:

Yeah - would have to agree with you. There must be a way to update these buildings!!!

Originally Posted by Pete

These things on EK Gaylord downtown are not only ugly, the exterior concrete is crumbling and flaking:

I concur. This the building that OCURA compare to a beautiful church in the old video Doug posted.

The Oil Center is just as bad. I call them the seat-belt buildings ever since they added the cornice work at the top that reminds me of a fireplace mantle, and painted the seatbelts down the center. Before those so called enhancements, they were just your typical squared off double T concrete spec bldgs that seem to blanket OKC from back in the day.

Woops, I forgot to mention, I think maybe the Country Inn Suites could take this honor since they recently repainted it. They also took their cornice design inspiration from the same fireplace mantle on the Oil Center from many years ago.

My vote goes to AT&T.

Yeah, the Trigen building (or whoever they are today) was my first thought. However, the Uhaul building has more presence and rather than attempt to hide and cut noise like the physical plant is trying to do, it's just a big old ugly in your face eyesore.

The First Christian Church Dome ranks up there for me too. (Sorry if that's your church.) Never liked the aesthetics of the north capital office buildings, Conner, Hodges, Sequoia and whatever the other one is.

What is it with AT&T buildings having little or no windows? Even their smaller offices around town are like this as well as their downtown building in Tulsa, it basically has no windows.

Originally Posted by onthestrip

What is it with AT&T buildings having little or no windows? Even their smaller offices around town are like this as well as their downtown building in Tulsa, it basically has no windows.

Lots of switchgear/servers that don't need windows/light since they are climate-controlled. A lot of cities have them. I don't think they are as necessary now with off-site data centers. One of the most famous is the AT&T Long Lines Building in NYC...550 ft. tall of solid concrete with no windows.

Chase building is pretty ugly too guys.

Probably going to take some flack for this, but the Stage Center takes my vote..

My vote goes to the AT&T building AND the one beside it, When ESPN's "Outside The Lines" featured Oklahoma City bombing, they picked the worst angle to show downtown buildings. My initial reaction to seeing the builing next to at&t was "Why does it look like the roof top suffered a fire"

Originally Posted by Pete

These things on EK Gaylord downtown are not only ugly, the exterior concrete is crumbling and flaking:

Reminds me of those little robots in the Deathstar on Star Wars. If we only had a rather large Chewbacca to AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH at them. They'd grow wheels and disappear!! ;-)

Originally Posted by OklahomaNick

Probably going to take some flack for this, but the Stage Center takes my vote..

Agreed--although much of the architecture in OKC lacks any kind of uniqueness that we've seen in other places. I would agree with all of the suggestions here.

Perhaps we should try to find an "attractive" building in OKC. That would be a short list IMHO.

If they cut or knocked a few holes in some of those "fluted" walls--and/or maybe leaned them over on amusing angles--and added some decorative duct work then the building posted by Pete could give Stage Center a run for The Ugliest prize money . . .

Shoppes of OKC followed by the entire public supply site.


PS. I don't think they are closing down but switching to commecial only. the residental side of the business went downhill after the Wright's sold their stake to the Bennet/Gaylord family they don't even manufacture the widows they sell anymore.

Originally Posted by onthestrip

What is it with AT&T buildings having little or no windows? Even their smaller offices around town are like this as well as their downtown building in Tulsa, it basically has no windows.

Seems like I read someplace back that when the telecommunications buildings were constructed during the Cold War era (meaning they were intended to withstand a nuclear blast, leaving the communications core intact). Course that wouldn't protect the lines coming/going to the core...

Originally Posted by onthestrip
What is it with AT&T buildings having little or no windows? Even their smaller offices around town are like this as well as their downtown building in Tulsa, it basically has no windows.

its cheaper to insure a wall than a window???

The central patient tower at St. Anthony

Originally Posted by Pete

^^^
This...

Originally Posted by Pete

The Oil Center on NW Expressway is just a mass of painted, pre-fab concrete.

There are a bunch of others built the same way in the 70's and 80's, but this is the biggest and most noticeable:

The inside matches the outside too

Number One Ugliest: Stage Center
Number Two Ugliest: Whole Foods
Number Three Ugliest: (Yet to be determined, based upon all of the modernarchitectural NUMBering)

[but it would have to be any of many of those off-putting BowhouseVanderoTowers that were so popular at one point. including those ticky/tacky towers immediately south of The Gold Dome . . . =) ]

of course, this is only my personal opinion, and frankly, i'm even getting a bit tired of PrairieVictorian (e.g. Overholtzer Mansion) and FauxArtDeco so . . . yet, seriously, don't you have to admit that Stage Center is totally goofy in design? i mean, really: is it the perfect example of form having nothing whatsoever to do with function at all . . . or whut? =)