We need a landmark

[Patrick]

An artist in Tulsa is about to build a 300 foot tall sculpture of a Native American, Oklahoma City really needs a landmark that it can be distinguished by. It needs to be close to downtown so it would show up in pictures of our city. It needs to be on a scale similar to the space needle in Seattle, the archway in St. Louis, etc.

I've proposed this to our city leaders before. I know we're not Tulsa and weren't known as the oil capitol, but much of the drilling was done here. And we have tons of gas companies here now. Why not build a 600 foot tall oil derrick, complete with an observation deck at the top, along with a restaurant, oil museum, and gift shop. At one time I sent the proposal to all of the council members and the mayor. They liked the idea, but didn't know how to find financing. I propose it for MAPS III.

What do you think? Have any other ideas?

[mranderson]

The Gateway arch is aprox 660 feet tall. If we take that measurement and add a foot, we will have the largest monument of a similar nature.

I was against the Indian, but would have accepted it anyway. We need to change the image of our city from a cowboy image to the image of the most cosmopolitian city between Chigago and Los Angeles.

I have supported Patrick's idea from the beginning, and will long after it is built.

[TStheThird]

Wouldn't a giant oil derrick look a lot like the Eiffel Tower? Maybe not...

I like the idea of a big landmark, but I am not for sure of what it should be. Maybe we could build a 600 foot tall glass tower and convince Chihuly to build a 590 foot glass sculpture to be housed inside. What will that symbolize? I don't know, but it would look pretty cool.

[Patrick]

I actually like the Chihuly sculpture idea. I bet that would be pretty costly though.
The Indian would've been great near the Native American Cultural Center, but I guess Tulsa beat us on that one. I'll continue to think of more ideas. Actually, it's probably a good idea we didn't go with an Indian or Cowboy, because aren't we trying to get away from our Hick label? Let's dream up something futuristic. One thing about the archway in St. Louis and the space needle in Seattle.....they're all futuristic and modern.

Maybe we could just have a space needle, but makeit all brick and put it in Bricktown. That would at least make it unique.

[TStheThird]

The more I think about it, a giant Chihuly glass sculpture housed inside a giant glass tower would be quite remarkable. Especially at night... think about what that would look like as you were passing by.

[floater]

I my thoughts (I too am a dreamer) the arts district should develop a master plan. One my ideas was to develop a unique streetlight system that incorporated a Chihuly glass sculpture as the bulb, with stainless steel posts. All this antique lighting is getting old.

[TStheThird]

That could be awesome. That would definantly help make the Arts District unique. I like that idea a lot. I would really like to see the Arts District developed more.

I spent some time in Prague a few months ago. One thing that I enjoyed about that city was the countless number of art studios. We probably walked into at least 20 studios full of the works of local artists. It was great.

[floater]

Yeah, it would be great to bring some Paseo-style action to the arts district. We have to provide the live/work housing that would make them want to locate downtown. Actually, the upper floors of the Bricktown warehouses are ideal for this...

[Patrick]

Yeah, the art district definitely needs something to set it apart from the cenral business district. Right now it kind of just all squeezes together. It needs an automobile alley type effect....it's clearly separated from the central business district. I think your idea of using Chihuly style lights would be great. Probably pretty costly, but maybe a MAPS III idea.

I agree that the upper floors of the Bricktown warehouses are ideal to bring in artists, but that would probably draw away from the Art district itself. What we need are some apartments built on the other side of Sycamore Square that have art studio space on the lower floors with lofts above. But, we first need to set the Art's District apart like I've already mentioned.

BTW, whoever mentioned the need for an opera is correct. I'd love to see one.

[Luke]

I like the idea of a tower like the CN tower in Toronto or the Space Needle in Seattle or the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. A large tower with a revolving restaurant would be a great addition to the skyline. At the bottom could be a hotel/convention center much like the Hyatt in Dallas.

[HOT ROD]

We had an idea from the old Maps, it was a 600 foot tower resembling an Oil Derrick.

[Patrick]

Yeah, I sent about about 50 letter back then trying to get local corporations and the city interested in the oil derrick concept. Philips 66 seemed interested at the time, but we never got further than just discussing the issue. I think for such a development to occur, the city would have to step up and express approval and seek private support, similar to what the state did for the dome project. By the way,I even entertained the idea to Blake Wade with the Centennial Commission, hoping that maybe we could get it included as one of the Centennial projects. Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck in trying to convince him.

For those of you that may not know what we're talking about, a few years back a few of us (floater, Keith, Mr. Anderson, Hot Rod, and several others) got together and put together a proposal for 600 foot tall oil tower, to dominate the skyline and become a landmark for our city. We proposed a two floor structure at the top of the tower, one with either the Petroleum Club or a fancy restaurant similar to Nikz, and the other floor with an Oklahoma museum and gift shop in the middle, surrounded by an indoor/outdoor observation deck. We had several ideas for what would be at the bottom of the structure....everything from an ice rink, to a skating rink, to a hotel, etc.

Anyways, I thought it as a great idea, but our city leaders thought otherwise. I guess it probably is true that at the present times we have more immediate concerns to deal with, namely breathing new life in our schools, renovating our decaying state fair grounds, beautifying our city, etc.

[okcpulse]

Actually, let's go outside the box of Oklahoma's oil industry heritage. I've pondered this idea for years for Oklahoma City, and it may fit us well.

In light of the new space port to be taking shape at Burns Flat, why don't we build a 1,000 ft. space tower in downtown Oklahoma City? I know Seattle has a space needle. So does Dallas, and San Antonio, Las Vegas, Toronto Montreal and Calgary. However, ours will have a different purpose.

The Andromeda Space Tower, as I call it, will be the symbol of Oklahoma's next gold mine... the space industry. Or private space industry, if you will. The Andromeda Space Tower (named for our neighboring galaxy) will boast two restaurants with views 800 feet above Oklahoma City, a public observation deck with telescopes and binoculars, and a mini-observatory on the top floor with a telescope that can see through light pollution from the city. At the base of the tower will be an Oklahoma Space Museum, dedicated to Oklahoma's astronauts... hey, many of NASA's pioneering astronauts are from Oklahoma.

What are your thoughts on building a monument of this magnitude not for Oklahoma's past, but for Oklahoma's future? The Andromeda Space Tower should be our landmark.

[Patrick]

Sounds like a plan to me......but I would probably weight a few years to make sure the space program is indeed going to take off in our state. That last thing we need is another reminder of what could've happened (for example, the "Galleria").

If you guys have any other ideas on largelandmarks that could identify our city, please feel free to express them! The more dreamers, the better!

[Joe Schmoe]

A giant tubular sculpture resembling a tumbleweed!

If constructed properly & out of the right materials, it could be light enough to be blown by the wind. Buckminster Fuller had an idea of making giant geodesic spheres about a mile across that would be light enough to float in the air. Buy heating up the air inside the tubing by only five degrees, it would be enough to give lift.

I've always loved that image of giant spherical cargo transports floating in the sky. One of the reasons that Fuller was really a visionary genius.

Ours would be smaller, but the weight to surface area ratio would be efficient enough that the wind could blow it around, in the same way that a normal sized tumbleweed moves... A massive moving monument.

"Last week it was down by the river, but Monday a big wind came through & now its down by the airport..."

The world's only 400 ft. dia. moving sculpture. That would be modern, with advanced technology & materials & yet evocative of this great prairie sea that we live on the edge of.

Well, there would be a small problem with traffic, children & small animals, but what price art & legend?

[Patrick]

LOL! That would be pretty cool though.....maybe wqe could just have it located in an area on the river enclosed by nice brick or stone walls or something, with vines growing up them. That way it wouldn't blow all ver the place. People could come and watch it move around in the wind. This would definitely be unique!

Any other ideas anyone?

[Joe Schmoe]

I like the idea of a traveling monument, with some danger & uncertainty associated with it.

Randomly wreaking havoc like our weather. I think it is a perfect image for us.

I see where NASA has a Mars rover project called Tumbleweed with a spherical probe to be blown around the Martian desert.

It may not be practical for OKC, but nonetheless, I have a new longterm art project.

The construction of artificial tumbleweed structures. Might be fun to see what range of sizes can be made to work.

Modular, fractal based geometries.

I've generaly not liked the idea of a large oil derick, but the association of its look with the Eiffel Tower is fantastic. I love it. The Okie Eiffel.

[okcstylez]

What every happened to The Green Light Attraction Close to downtown in The Park? They said that was going to be a "St Louis Arch" attraction for us. It was supposed to shine high into the sky thousands of feet. I always thought this project was unique just im not sure when its supposed to be completed or even started on?

[floater]

That Tumbleweed idea actually sounds pretty cool! It'd be an artistic play on the stereotype!! And it'd be an interactive art installation: I can just imagine people pushing it onto the Oklahoma! River just like a huge beach ball!!

And okcstylez, we are getting the green "Beacon of Hope" back...in a park downtown. Here's the story. Also, an update on the project is in Downtown OKC's website,"Skyline Snapshot"...

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Downtown gains 'Beacon of Hope' - 2/9/2004


Journal Record

Downtown Oklahoma City will soon have a "Beacon of Hope" illuminating the sky with a green beam of light directing residents and visitors to the city's central core.

The light will be beamed a few thousand feet high into the sky by a 100-foot tall monolithic sculpture that will become the focal point of Founders Plaza at Stiles Park located in Oklahoma City's historic Stiles Park at the northeast corner of Centennial Expressway and NW Sixth Street. The park is being developed by the Oklahoma Health Center Foundation, which will act as an entrance to the Oklahoma Health Center campus.

"What we have planned is to turn this historic park into something the community can be proud of while at the same time retaining the history of the park," says Hershel Lamirand, executive director of the Oklahoma Health Center Foundation.

Lamirand explains that the purpose of the park is to commemorate and celebrate the 40th anniversary in 2005 of the founding of the Oklahoma Health Center concept by five of Oklahoma City's most distinguished businessmen ? Dean A. McGee, Stanton L. Young, E.K. Gaylord, Harvey P. Everest and Don O'Donoghue.

In 1964, the five men journeyed to Houston to visit the Texas Medical Center, which inspired them to cast the vision for the Oklahoma Health Center. Work on the center began one year later in 1965.

"Our vision behind this project is to recognize these men for their contribution," adds Lamirand.

While plans for the park have been in development since 2002, the foundation was officially given the green light from the Oklahoma City Council during last week's meeting to use the 0.9-acre park for construction of the monument.

According to the agreement, the foundation will pay for all improvements, landscape maintenance and utilities.

Now that the foundation has received approval, Lamirand expects construction on the project to begin within the next six months. The goal is to have Founders Plaza complete by April 2005 in time to officially commemorate the 40th anniversary.

At a projected cost of $600,000, funding for the project will come from fund-raising efforts and proceeds from the Oklahoma Health Center's Treasures for Tomorrow program. The program hosts a special event each spring to honor the community's "living treasures" and spotlight the work being done at the Oklahoma Health Center. This year's event will be on April 15. Proceeds from the 2002 through 2005 events will be used for construction of Founders Plaza.
In addition, Lamirand says that a 00,000 endowment will also be established for the continued maintenance of the monument and the park.

Local architect Rand Elliott of Elliott Associates designed the project that will be anchored by the "Beacon of Hope." The green beacon will be projected both day and night by a 100-foot-high steel base that is eight feet in diameter. The cylinder will rest on a 625-square-foot site while the light is illuminated by a beam of over 1 million foot-candles of power.

"We hope the beacon will serve as a guiding light for Oklahomans to be seen during the day and night," says Lamirand.

Furthermore, Lamirand hails the structure as one of the most important projects in terms of drawing tourists to the downtown area and instilling a sense of hometown pride in local residents. While the beacon will serve as an entrance to the Health Center, Lamirand adds the beacon is also designed to act as a gateway to direct people to all of the activity taking place in the central core such as Bricktown, the central business district and the various MAPS projects.

"The beacon will be the focal point going into downtown Oklahoma City," he explains.

Lamirand adds that the foundation hopes the beacon will give Oklahoma City an identifiable structure to visitors who travel into Oklahoma City via air or interstate. He compares the project to such other recognizable landmarks as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.

"Oklahoma City does not have an identifiable structure like that and we hope that this 'Beacon of Hope' will serve as a gateway to our community," adds Lamirand.

In addition to the monolithic structure, the park will also consist of extensive landscaping, pathways, benches and information on the five founders of the Oklahoma Health Center.

Founders Plaza at Stiles Park will mark the third beautification project the Treasurers for Tomorrow has funded. The initiative has also funded The Live Oak Grove and The Jimmy Everest Garden Walk, which are both located on the Oklahoma Health Center campus.

Since its inception, the Oklahoma Health Center has grown into 300-acre campus housing 25 private, educational, governmental and nonprofit organizations. The center also has more than 12,500 employees and contributes an estimated $3 billion annually to the state's economy.

[Luke]

I think it was mentioned in the most recent skyline snapshot from downtownokc.com.

http://www.downtownokc.com/pdfs/skyl...arter_2004.pdf

[HOT ROD]

Just my opinion, no tumbleweeds please.

We dont have them in OKC anyways, so why have a memorial to them. Much of the nation has the :grapes of wrath opinion about OKC and we have done much to convince them otherwise.

OKC is as modern as any other major city, so our monument needs to pay tribute to something meaning Oklahoma. Sure, Texas gets all the credit for Oil but we could have been the first to have a memorial of it.

Seattle's space needle is considered by most to be modern but in-fact it is art Moderne, Vegas is modern, as is Vancouver's. Their needles have way more glass and smooth surfaces with light-effects than Seattle's, which is an icon of steel with a steel saucer on top. Some have even called Seattle's needle retro, as it was the first of such needle futuristic monuments. Modern structures require glass, key example in OKC are OK Tower and Leadership Square. Lots of glass! Smooth "neat" surface.

What makes Seattle's Space Needle look modern is the skyline, as there are many skyscrapers with the modern design. We have almost no art deco, but we have lots of art moderne and modern skyscrapers. A few international style. so, when you see the popular pics of Seattle, the needle looks current, but when you just view the needle, you see that it is not modern architecture, but a twist on art deco.

That aside, I think a derrick (modern design) would have been great for OKC. It would have given us a focal point (like the space needle in seattle) that could be viewed prominently day and night with functionality, lights, and a twist on architecture (like vegas). Too bad we could not hire an architect, as I think it would have been difficult not to approve if it were.

[Patrick]

Well Hot Rod...your discussion about tumbleweeds makes me think that we should rethink the oil derrick idea as well......afterall, Houston is known as the oil capital, and we'd look a little funny building an oil derrick, claiming to be the oil capital!
I think we could try to look for something more modernistic, possibly. Let's start looknig forward instead of looking at the present and past.

[Luke]

I think we should go all out and build the tallest tower in the world. Currently, that designation belongs to the CN Tower in Canada. It stands 1,815 feet tall. That is 1,315 feet taller than the tallest building in Oklahoma City (Bank1 at 500 feet). Of course, an observation deck and a rotating restaurant would be at the top. I think its design should be modern.

Heck, even if we didn't build the tallest in the world, let's at least get a tower downtown. That would add a lot, in my opinion.

[okcstylez]

I think we should stick to Trying to get a land Mark That would make Oklahoma City have the tallest Building or structure at least In Oklahoma. Tulsa has held this crown for a long time. A tower Somewhat maybe Closer to 800 Ft. In Size would be great around downtown. Therefore it wont stand out way to much it still fits in With the flow of downtown Buildings. Also something Unique such as a brick Tower as someone I believe mentioned. I remember thinking What the hell are they doing with the Ford Center when they started out lying the brick but now i think its awesome. And obviously the Ford Center being a Very inexpensive Arena to be built it wouldnt be so much of a hassle to round up the money to Add bricks up a 800ft Tower (Space Tower Im Refering to). Maybe The tower can look just like a normal Modern Tower With an Observation Deck and maybe have the Citys 2nd Revolving Restraunt. Yet the Brick Would set it out to Be An Oklahoma Style Tower. And even if the brick Style dont settle in It would be nice to Just say We the capital And largest City in This state hold the Crown Once again As having the tallest Tower in Our State.

[Patrick]

Hmmmm.....that sounds like a wonderful idea.....a "Bricktower" in the middle of Bricktown! Wouldn't that be a nice fit? How about we build it on the parking lot across from Spaghetti Warehouse, right in the heart of Bricktown?