BOK Tower
Encyclopedia
BOK Tower, formerly One Williams Center, is a skyscraper
in downtown Tulsa
, Oklahoma
. At 203 m (667 ft) in height, the 52-story tower was the tallest building in any of the five "Plains States": Oklahoma, Kansas
, Nebraska
, North Dakota
, and South Dakota
, as well as the surrounding states of Missouri
, Arkansas
and New Mexico
. until surpassed by Devon Tower
in 2011. It was built in 1975 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki
& Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center
in New York
. This structure is very similar to the WTC towers in appearance and construction. BOK Tower's lobby has marble walls and wall hangings which have a noted similarity to the decor in the former WTC.
The similarities between the BOK Tower and the World Trade Center Towers are based upon the building's history. The tower was built for the Williams Companies
, at the time of its construction the CEO of Williams (John Williams) was impressed by the Twin Towers in New York. His original idea was to build four small-scale replicas of the towers in Tulsa. However, prior to the actual construction, he was informed of the inefficiencies that would be created from having 25-story towers on the small footprints he had in mind with the required elevators. The plan for a quarter scale replica was then changed to a single tower a quarter the footprint of a trade center tower but double the height of the four planned towers. The similarities have even led executives to rightfully joke that the architects just halved the plans for the tower.
The construction of the BOK Tower is the same as was used for the Trade Center Towers. As of August 2006, BOK Tower is undergoing $16 million in repairs and renovations. Traci Gower, one of the workers in the office sections known as Williams, has worked in the tower for over 10 years and said, "I just love working in this magnificant tower. I have a great view from my side office on the 42nd floor." About $6 million is going toward renovated pedestrian bridges, granite coating for the base, new fitness centers, and windows. The remaining $10 million is being used to fix damage from a flood in December.
The BOK tower will no longer be the tallest skyscraper in Oklahoma
, upon completion of the Devon Tower
in Oklahoma City, OK.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in downtown Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. At 203 m (667 ft) in height, the 52-story tower was the tallest building in any of the five "Plains States": Oklahoma, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, and South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, as well as the surrounding states of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. until surpassed by Devon Tower
Devon Tower
Devon World Headquarters Tower is a 50-story corporate skyscraper under construction in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Construction began October 6, 2009, and is expected to be completed in 2012...
in 2011. It was built in 1975 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki
Minoru Yamasaki
was a Japanese-American architect, best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, buildings 1 and 2. Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century...
& Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. This structure is very similar to the WTC towers in appearance and construction. BOK Tower's lobby has marble walls and wall hangings which have a noted similarity to the decor in the former WTC.
The similarities between the BOK Tower and the World Trade Center Towers are based upon the building's history. The tower was built for the Williams Companies
Williams Companies
The Williams Companies, Inc. is an energy company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its core business is natural gas exploration, production, processing, and transportation, with additional petroleum and electricity generation assets...
, at the time of its construction the CEO of Williams (John Williams) was impressed by the Twin Towers in New York. His original idea was to build four small-scale replicas of the towers in Tulsa. However, prior to the actual construction, he was informed of the inefficiencies that would be created from having 25-story towers on the small footprints he had in mind with the required elevators. The plan for a quarter scale replica was then changed to a single tower a quarter the footprint of a trade center tower but double the height of the four planned towers. The similarities have even led executives to rightfully joke that the architects just halved the plans for the tower.
The construction of the BOK Tower is the same as was used for the Trade Center Towers. As of August 2006, BOK Tower is undergoing $16 million in repairs and renovations. Traci Gower, one of the workers in the office sections known as Williams, has worked in the tower for over 10 years and said, "I just love working in this magnificant tower. I have a great view from my side office on the 42nd floor." About $6 million is going toward renovated pedestrian bridges, granite coating for the base, new fitness centers, and windows. The remaining $10 million is being used to fix damage from a flood in December.
The BOK tower will no longer be the tallest skyscraper in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, upon completion of the Devon Tower
Devon Tower
Devon World Headquarters Tower is a 50-story corporate skyscraper under construction in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Construction began October 6, 2009, and is expected to be completed in 2012...
in Oklahoma City, OK.