Tulsa topics in the SkyscraperPage forum.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Wow.  Just wow.

Do you think business just come in and build sky scrappers for fun, or to make the skyline pretty?  No, they build them because they need office space in Tulsa and they want to be downtown.

Right now, office space is just getting to a respectable level and people are just thinking about wanting to be downtown.  Until both of those things are firmly in demand, don't hold your breath.  

and as for 1000 feet... there are 10 (TEN!) buildings in the USA that are over 1000 feet.  Those are in Chicago, New York, LA and one in Atlanta.  800 feet gets you in the top 40.  The BOk Tower would be the tallest building in our neighbors Kansas, New Mexico, Arkansas, or Missouri  (38 other states in all).

While I would love to see our skyline grow, it will only grow as fast as demand for office space.  I hope that happens, but until it does, be damn proud of the skyline we currently offer.


(side note:  if you want to see something amazing/scary, look under construction and see how many times the worl d"Dubai" appears:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_the_world)

I was just saying that if they built tall skyscrapers the Tulsa Skyline would really look nifty. A single 900'-1,000' tower would grab your eyes and a few 800' skyscrapers nearby would boost up the shape of the skyline. DownTown Indianapolis has a 811' Skyscraper that really looks nifty. it helps shape the skyline people see from a distance. Small short buildings do not make a nice city skyline outline from a distance. A nice looking downtown skyline also helps sell a city to outsiders. It looks nice on post cards, it's a good thing. But there has to be a need to build tall buildings- I agree.

Hmm..hasn't hurt OKC.  Their tallest building?

The Chase Tower at 504 feet (and, just 36 stories to boot).

Ours?  The BOK Tower at 667 feet.

[Johnboy976]

If you've ever been to Albuquerque, NM, you'll quickly notice that their downtown buildings are SMALL. I mean, dinky doesn't even begin to describe how small they are.

[cannon_fodder]

I've spent lots of time there.  Dinky would not be a word I would want to use.  They have a handful of office towers in the 20-25 story range.  Certainly not monsters, but not dinky.  Officially, they have 16 sky scrappers with a the largest a modest 360 feet.  Tulsa has 28, and about 2x the metro population.

Not to mention, Albuquerque had their 2 largest built in the 1990s and has a very lively downtown.  From a distance, Tulsa wins.  As for actually wanting to go downtown, Albuquerque wins hands down.

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by Johnboy976

If you've ever been to Albuquerque, NM, you'll quickly notice that their downtown buildings are SMALL. I mean, dinky doesn't even begin to describe how small they are.

Yes, but the buildings are framed by the mountains in the background. Phoenix, AZ and Wichita, KS also don't have any real tall buildings. Cincinatti, Ohio has only 550' skyscrapers. I just think tall skyscrapers make a cities skyline. Denver has a nice Skyline, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas do too. Omaha's skyline is not all that bad.

[sauerkraut]

Speaking of tall buildings, I grew up in Warren, Michigan, my grandmother lived in Detroit, when I was a kid she was going to take me to the top of the Penobscot building's  observation deck, Detroit's tallest tower in the 1960's. We never got the chance. Anyhoo, The Penobscot building was built in 1928 and is around 560' tall with a big red ball on top. A very nice looking building. At the time it was built it was something like the 6th or 7th tallest building in the world. The Empire State Building was not yet built. Today it's a small building in the world of skyscrapers.

[Lister]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603

quote:Originally posted by sauerkraut

I believe that safeway store closed up on Denver/15th due to high crime. I believe latter some other business took it over and they closed up too. I think that building is still standing there vacant. To improve Tulsa's skyline they need to build more skyscrapers. It'll be great if they would put up a few 800-1000' skyscrapers. The BOK tower is only 667' feet tall and is the tallest building in Oklahoma. (667' feet is really not that tall). As for the comments above about living downtown and being able get get around without a car, you can do the same thing living at other parts of the city. If you Live near 81st and RiverSide Drive and you can walk to Wal-Mart and restaurants and your even close to the RiverSide jogging trails. You can also get along with out a car living around 129th street and 71st. You have tons of stores and restaurants why do you need to drive? I can name other areas of Tulsa where you can live without a car and still do shopping/night life and all are without living downtown... Living downtown I just don't understand why. It makes no sense as I see it, or so it seems to me.[]

BOK tower is taller than anything in your beloved Omaha, too.  It's also taller than anything in Austin, which is a city twice our size.  Our downtown is probably one of our best pieces of identity....I can't say that I think we need MORE skyscrapers.  At this point, i want to see more midrise and lowrise construction.

True. Tulsa's skyline is actually way overbuilt for a city of its size. I'm with you, a little more midrise and lowrise construction would do the trick. But first, there has to be a need. Right now, I'd just be satisfied to see more action downtown. It's looking up though.