[WilliamTheArtist]

While not a large arena I am glad that we picked Cesar Peli to design it. I think it is going to be quite nice when it is done. Here are some construction photos I took today. They have just started placing some of the glass panels on the large glass wall. I cant wait to see the metal sheathing go on the rest of the exterior. Pardon my cut and paste job on some of the "panorama" images.

http://bokcenter.com/

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/614/photoch5.jpg
Shot at 2007-10-27

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5432/img1478mergewebun2.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5370/img1465mergeweblw4.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/7369/img1462cropwebbg6.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5157/img1486cropwebny2.jpg

Just for scale
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1673/img1486crop2webmd1.jpg

[WilliamTheArtist]

Here is a video update of the arenas current progress from the local papers website.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/default.aspx

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8779/tulsa2lgasc7.jpg

[wrendog]

18000 is a good size arena. Is Tulsa trying to get a major team there?

[WilliamTheArtist]

As far as I know, no. Tulsa is such a small city and is so isolated from other cities that its hard to draw much of a crowd to really support something like that here. Our old convention center/arena was just extremely old and out dated. I do think they are going to try and host tournaments and such though and the refurbished old convention center next door and other venues in town will help with that. Also I think having this arena will help Tulsa be able to attract more concerts and larger conventions here. There are some small local teams like the Tulsa Oilers Ice Hockey and the Tulsa Talons Arena Football which will be using the new facility. Mainly I suppose this is seen as a much needed "upgrade" replacement of an old facility with the potential to bring a bit more into the area than we could get with the old facility.

I am glad we decided to spend the extra money and make it a nicely designed facility. They didnt want something that was purely basic and functional, or large just for the sake of being large. We could have made it larger, but imo its better to have something smaller, well done, and beautiful. Tulsa is trying to revitalize its downtown and I really hope we follow the strategy of quality versus quantity. Will have to see if that strategy works.

I would rather slowly have and build up nice things that are points of pride than quickly rush to build a lot of crap. I think Tulsans often get an inferiority complex because we compare ourselves to much larger cities, want to be like larger, older cities, and dont stack up. I would like to push the idea that its perfectly fine to be a small, quality city and be proud of that, you dont have to be big and fast growing to have a wonderful quality of life. Its perfectly fine to be Florence and not Rome.

[wrendog]

Yeah, I wouldn't think that Tulsa would be ready for NBA or NHL, especially with OKC most likely next in line for NBA. I would assume an arena like that would garner attention from the AFL though (Step up from the Talons AF2 team)

[WilliamTheArtist]

Here are some interior shots I took today during a tour of the progress on the BOK arena. The arena is due to be completed this September. The grand entrance and staircase is really starting to come together and the view from the upper concourse of Downtown looks great. I bet it will look stunning at night.

Lower level after coming in the main entrance.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4452/aimg2445webdq8.jpg

Upper level looking in same direction. You can see the grand staircase starting to take shape in the background.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6685/aimg2484webip3.jpg

Another shot in the upper concourse.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6898/aimg2483webgs3.jpg

Interior bowl.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7265/aimg2468webtk0.jpg

A view from the upper level through the glass icon wall.
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6824/aimg2485webvn2.jpg

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4056/aimg2489webvo2.jpg

[WilliamTheArtist]

Couple pics of a detailed model they had displayed in their offices. I actually like the side view better than the "front".

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7866/aimg2505webpt4.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3851/aimg2504webcp9.jpg

[WilliamTheArtist]

Here is a video that someone shot during the tour the other day.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4127735284617417384&hl=en

[JEMack]

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk306/JMackenzie2008/DSCF0445.jpg

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk306/JMackenzie2008/DSCF0448.jpg

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk306/JMackenzie2008/DSCF0451.jpg

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk306/JMackenzie2008/DSCF0454.jpg

[WilliamTheArtist]

Wow, wow, its really looking nice. I am almost flabbergasted that something like this is actually being built here in Tulsa.

Here is a new live webcam view.

http://99.157.43.17/view/view.shtml?imagePath=/mjpg/video.mjpg&size=1

[donclark]

Yes, the BOK Center is going to be great, I think better than Oklahoma City's Ford Center. Even Wichita has got its act together, building a very nice Intrust Bank Arena. These three cities are arch rivals.

http://www.kansas.com/arena/

[WilliamTheArtist]

Rivalry? Goodness no. Eeeeverybody knows Tulsa is better. :D There is no rivalry what so ever. Perhaps there is a rivalry between OKC and Wichita?

[WilliamTheArtist]

Here are some more recent photos I snagged from Flickr

I think once its completely done and people are able to catch some pics in some really good lighting situations and at night lit up, you will see some beautiful photos of this building. I love how this building changes with the light. May have to try and catch her during some vibrant sunsets. Then of course there is the "I hate the new arena" crowd who think its ugly and call it the "silver cinnamon roll" or the giant roll of duct tape lol. I personally think its beautiful.

by, oilerfan07
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9635/bok8byoilerfan07cropxo8.jpg

by, dsjeffries
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5821/bok2abydsjeffriestb2.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5361/bok3abydsjeffriesik8.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9801/bokabydsjeffrieshe1.jpg

by, chrisdscott

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1892/bokbychrisdscottwk6.jpg

[Chicago3rd]

I love this building! Way to go Tulsa!

[sciguy0504]

Wow...stunning.

[WilliamTheArtist]

Thanks for the positive responses. There are a lot of backward, conservative, naysayers here who don't like it at all. I think we should be proud of it, not knock it and say its ugly. So its helpful to hear people, from other parts of the country who are accustomed to things that are forward thinking and out of the norm, be supportive of this type of thing here. Its nice to be able to tell people what you have said. Many of the locals would have rather have had something brick and old fashioned. I am glad there were enough people with the guts to go against the grain and push for something above average and unique. I hope we continue down that path.

Thanks again for the positive comments.

[matthew2109]

this is a very nice building

[lalucedm]

Thanks for the positive responses. There are a lot of backward, conservative, naysayers here who don't like it at all. I think we should be proud of it, not knock it and say its ugly. So its helpful to hear people, from other parts of the country who are accustomed to things that are forward thinking and out of the norm, be supportive of this type of thing here. Its nice to be able to tell people what you have said. Many of the locals would have rather have had something brick and old fashioned. I am glad there were enough people with the guts to go against the grain and push for something above average and unique. I hope we continue down that path.

Thanks again for the positive comments.


I'm from Tulsa, and I would have expected it to have built a concrete box to replace the old convention center, due to this prevailing lack of vision that pervades the city (which is one of the reasons I left), so I'm really glad it hasn't. Tulsa is a charming city, if a certain slow, inexpensive, but still quality life is what you're after, and up to now, that conservatism has stretched to architecture as well. (The collection of Art Deco skyscrapers downtown are beautiful, but those are from an age when Tulsa was important in the world - plus, the city is slowly turning all of downtown into a giant parking lot, so they may not last that much longer...) But Tulsa deserves modern beautiful things too, to sustain peoples' souls in this age. Perhaps this arena will inspire other Tulsans who want to build a building to spend some money.

And, Tulsa was always better than OKC. OKC is a giant field with a run-down strip mall every half-mile and the capitol building in the center. :)

[Shantytown Architect]

I think the BOK Arena is amazing but a bit ironic seeing as BOK Center is a lackluster skyscraper... only rivaled in monotony by NYTC switchboard station.

How many stories is the arena?

[WilliamTheArtist]

Cant find any blueprint renderings for the height. But just guessing its not really that tall, Eyeballing it I would say perhaps around 16 stories, 160' ? Though on the back side its probably taller since the bowl goes down into the ground when you enter in the front, aka the glass wall side.

[Ayreonaut]

This is a great arena.

[PA Pride]

Great photos william; And impressive arena.

[lalucedm]

I think the BOK Arena is amazing but a bit ironic seeing as BOK Center is a lackluster skyscraper... only rivaled in monotony by NYTC switchboard station.

How many stories is the arena?


Funny thing is that BOK Center was designed by the same Japanese architect, in the same period, as the World Trade Center in New York. So, it's kind of a mini-WTC, and you can totally tell.

The arena does look really nice. If I ever go back there, I'd love to see it.

[donclark]

Funny thing is that BOK Center was designed by the same Japanese architect, in the same period, as the World Trade Center in New York. So, it's kind of a mini-WTC, and you can totally tell.

The arena does look really nice. If I ever go back there, I'd love to see it.

No, the Bok Center's architect is Cesar Pelli, an Argentinian, not Chinese, whose New Haven firm designed the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, not the World Trade Center. Pelli also did recently the Walt Disney Symphony Center in Los Angeles. Pelli likes curves and the metallic look, the Bok Center being an example of his work.

[Biff]

No, the Bok Center's architect is Cesar Pelli, an Argentinian, not Chinese, whose New Haven firm designed the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, not the World Trade Center. Pelli also did recently the Walt Disney Symphony Center in Los Angeles. Pelli likes curves and the metallic look, the Bok Center being an example of his work.


....ummm, i think you may be thinking of Frank Gehry - he designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA and he is the one who likes the curves and the metallic look. Pelli did design the Petronas Towers though.

Either way i love the new arena.:tup:

[donclark]

....ummm, i think you may be thinking of Frank Gehry - he designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA and he is the one who likes the curves and the metallic look. Pelli did design the Petronas Towers though.

Either way i love the new arena.:tup:

I love the Bok Center as well. The minor league teams, both arena football and hockey, are moving into the new arena with significant rent increases. Fortunately, the suites which have sold out, provide the teams more revenue than the new increased rents. Instead of paying a grand per game, they will have to pay ten grand per game in rent, but the suites provide 12 grand....

There are many minor league teams nationwide that are complaining about the rents, wishing for lesser rents, as its difficult to increase their seat prices with the sub par talent. While many cities do not wish to hear it, renovating their arenas to provide more corporate level suites can greatly change the situation of these minor league teams.

[WilliamTheArtist]

Some pics since the arena has been completed.

Context... far NW corner of downtown.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/751/2578545465e092ed914db.jpg

The spaceship has landed.
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5697/27507042125d8737f23eb.jpg

by lesstockton flickr
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/782/lesstockton.jpg

by dsjeffreis flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3683/bokabydsjeffries.jpg

by oilerfan flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4993/byoilerfan.jpg

by sroemerm flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8646/bysroemerm.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/6643/bysroemerm3.jpg

by oilerfan flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4859/oilerfan07ad.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5933/byoilerfan2.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8936/32241589949a24614f16b.jpg

by lizphotoart flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4310/bylizphotoart.jpg

by maximumfunkage flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2500/bymaximumfunkage.jpg

by thomasfberger flickr
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/687/thomasfberger.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4670/thomasfberger2.jpg

[WilliamTheArtist]

Funny thing is that BOK Center was designed by the same Japanese architect, in the same period, as the World Trade Center in New York. So, it's kind of a mini-WTC, and you can totally tell.

The arena does look really nice. If I ever go back there, I'd love to see it.


The BOK Center was designed by Cesar Pelli who designed the Petronas towers in Malaysia. The BOK Tower in the background of the first couple of pics above, was designed by the same architect as the World Trade Centers and built at about the same time. The BOK Tower is indeed a 1/2 height replica of the of the World Trade Center towers, the lobby is almost exactly the same, even the fixtures throughout the building, lights etc. are exactly the same and were said to be interchangeable. I showed a friend in NY a pic of the inside of the BOK tower once and he swore it was a pic of the inside of one of the World Trade Center buildings. The BOK Tower though just 1/2 height of the WTC towers, is still the tallest building in this region.

[WilliamTheArtist]

Currently #2 in the US,,,#9 Worldwide. Not bad for a little cowtown.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/6762/20090415a1a4bokcenterpl.jpg