BOK Tower

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This article is about the Tulsa skyscraper. For the famous "Singing Tower" in Florida, see Bok Tower Gardens.
BOK Tower
The BOK Building.jpg
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
General information
StatusComplete
TypeOffice
LocationTulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Coordinates36°09′18″N 95°59′25″W / 36.1550°N 95.9903°W / 36.1550; -95.9903Coordinates: 36°09′18″N 95°59′25″W / 36.1550°N 95.9903°W / 36.1550; -95.9903
Completed1976
Height
Roof667 ft (203 m)
Technical details
Floor count52
Floor area1,140,673 sq ft (105,972.0 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectMinoru Yamasaki & Associates
References
[1]

BOK Tower (formerly known as One Williams Center) is a skyscraper in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 203 m (667 ft)[2] 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,[3] until surpassed by Devon Tower in 2011.[4] It was built in 1976 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City. This structure is very similar to the WTC towers in appearance and construction.[5]

Design and history[]

BOK Tower's lobby has marble walls and wall hangings similar to those in the former World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York. BOK Tower was built for the Williams Companies, whose CEO at the time, John Williams, was impressed by the Twin Towers and originally wanted to build four 25-story replicas in Tulsa. However, prior to construction, Williams was informed that having four separate towers would require more elevators than a single, larger tower.[citation needed] The plan for a quarter scale replica was then changed to a single 52-story tower, double the height of the four planned towers. The similarities to the World Trade Center led executives to joke that the architects just halved the plans for a World Trade Center tower.[6]

BOK Tower, as completed, was the tallest building in Oklahoma and contained 1,100,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of office space.[7] Within four months of its completion, BOK Tower was 80 percent occupied.[8]

In December 2005, a water main broke and flooded electrical equipment in the basement.[9] In 2006, BOK Tower underwent $16 million in repairs and renovations. $6 million was spent on renovated pedestrian bridges, granite coating for the base, new fitness centers, and windows. The remaining $10 million was used to fix damage from the 2005 flood.[10]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "BOK Tower". SkyscraperPage.
  2. ^ GmbH, Emporis. "BOK Tower, Tulsa | 122939 | EMPORIS". www.emporis.com. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  3. ^ Gill, Richie (October 6, 2006). "Tallest Buildings by US State". All About Skyscrapers. Archived from the original on January 11, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
  4. ^ Cameron, Alex (February 11, 2012). "Touring Devon Tower: Oklahoma's Tallest Building". News9.com. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  5. ^ Taylor, Jonathan (November 2008). "The Lost Twin: The Lone, Shrunken World Trade Center Tower in Oklahoma". The Believer. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  6. ^ Sulzberger, A. G. (August 27, 2011). "An Oklahoma Office Tower's Unbreakable Link to 9/11". The New York Times.
  7. ^ "Williams Center 'The Talk of Tulsa'". The Daily Oklahoman. March 28, 1976. pp. 31, 32. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  8. ^ Morgan, Neil (October 28, 1977). "Tulsa: A City That Met The Challenge". The Lawton Constitution. p. 31. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "Workers expected back today". The Daily Oklahoman. December 8, 2005. p. 24. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. ^ Evatt, Robert (August 19, 2006). "Signature Skyline". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
Preceded by
First Place Tower 		Tallest Building in Tulsa
1976—Present
203m 		Succeeded by
None
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