Anybody know what this is from BOK?

[TheArtist]

Found this while snooping around online. Go to menue option, then on the right there is a list of things, select Bank of Oklahoma Tulsa.

If I am not mistaken it looks like it is going in that space they own next to the new arena.  


http://www.wolfarc.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=10391&Akey=WXNQY2J6

[brunoflipper]

Our earlier client, National Bank of Tulsa is now been transformed and has become the Bank of Oklahoma.  We were called upon for the third time to design for them very special spaces in the top of a new building in Tulsa.  Once again, we were responsible for furniture, materials, the details, and the art; the entirety of the project.

Typical of the technique in many southwestern cities, here, a full block in the core of the city is devoted to banking by automobile.

Our concept was to create an "orchard" through which one drives en route to auto tellers. In this way a green block would be presented as a visual gift to the city, for we assumed that the site would eventually be surrounded by taller buildings.

With an east-west slope, the site is manipulated so that the south-eastern part is given over to the pedestrian. This park is surmounted by a "lantern" walk-in bank; the automobile-related and support services beneath this park-cum-podium. The building, enclosed by a wall of glass block and supported on a structure that recalls the natural gas storage tanks in the refineries across the river, in a continuation of the tree-grid. The horizontal expression of the skin combines clear and tinted, large and small blocks-the larger scale occurring on the north side, the smaller size occurring on the southern exposure so that the finer grid of the masonry between the blocks is a more dense sunscreen.

The intentional absence of scale is a mode for giving a presence to what is a very small structure in a downtown area. In the square block, the double square and its diagonal become the organizing geometry.

[waterboy]

Them's purty. Can't wait to see how they stand up to graffitti. The trees appear to look like the ones we're seeing now except for the one that looks like the Murrah building survivor tree. Very cool.

[Renaissance]

I had wondered whether the auto bank would be torn out in favor of more substantial development.  I guess this is a "no" to that question, but it sounds like the objective is to make it as park-like as possible.

Bruno, is that you talking, or did you find that somewhere?  EDIT: Never mind.  Saw the "about" section next to the slideshow.

[Oil Capital]

Is that just the original design for the drive-through bank or is that a new design for an update?  Anyone have any idea?  The impression I take from the architect's website is that this is the design from the original construction of the facility.

There's also an entry for Williams Companies on the site, with lots of pretty pictures of the interior of the Williams HQ.  "complete interior design for their new headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma."

[swake]

I don't see BOK ever selling the auto bank land for development. If George Kaiser ever wants his own "iconic" tower then the auto bank location next to the arena that bears his company's name is perfect for a new tower. He only has naming rights on the current BOK Tower, it's really just part of the larger Williams Center complex and is still owned by Williams and is the headquarters for Williams.

Even if he doesn't someday want his own building there is a lot of synergy of having a BOK bank location filling the space between the current BOK tower and the BOK arena.

[tulsa1603]

Looks like that was the original design.  Kind of sad that it wasn't built the way it was intended - there isn't an "orchard" of trees in between the lanes.  I always thought that that building seemed like it probably had a great original concept, but got watered down before construction.

My favorite quote: "Typical of the technique in many southwestern cities, here, a full block in the core of the city is devoted to banking by automobile."

I wish BOK were finishing the concept out with the trees in between the lanes and the little amoeba shaped building up top.  That would have been a lot cooler.

[inteller]

ah, looks like a great new place for the homeless to sleep.[}:)]

[sgrizzle]

What the heck was the grain silo part of it for? Walk-up banking?

[Renaissance]

Yeah, looks like an ATM kiosk.

[TheArtist]

Well drats, I was hoping I had stumbled on a scoop about something that was going to be built or announced soon. Figures it was another old plan that never happened. [xx(]

[Renaissance]

Well Artist, the upside is that it doesn't represent a continued commitment by BOK to use that city block for drive-thru banking.

Not saying it won't continue to be an auto bank for the next decade or longer, but you never know that development around the arena is going to end up looking like.  It could still end up being torn out and put to better use.

[cannon_fodder]

I wish we had many of the other listed developments.  The huge office towers.  The twin high rise condos.

BUT, I'm glad they are doing something to make that look better.  As it is, it appears to be an empty lot.  Whatever it is they are putting it (man, I really can't even tell) looks... interesting at least.