Tulsa's New BOK Center

I spent a good chunk of my holiday weekend visiting the new BOK Center of Tulsa. I watched groups perform, kids dance, people smile and "ahhh" at the 565,000 square feet building. I forked over $1 for concessions that will cost four times as much in upcoming weeks and shook my head again at how I missed out on getting Eagles tickets (the first of many venues coming to the show).

The space interests me primarily because of the architect, Cesar Pelli who at the young age of 81 designed the space even though he had never designed an arena before. Anyone that can tackle a new challenge like that has my vote. (Pelli has many beautiful buildings to his name, including Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the US Embassy in Tokyo, the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. My personal favorite - the renovation of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, a place where I often hung out when I lived on the East Coast.)

I have to admit I did tour the facility somewhat grudgingly. I am glad that T Town may be emerging into the 21 century with a facility such as this for sports and concerts. I have attended far too many events in some of the current venues and we are way past due on this type of facility. Still, though, I would enjoy driving to the new center on roads that don't threaten my car rims, and it is for that reason that I admired the now 32 million $ overbudget icon with some skepticism. If it brings in money to Tulsa and the current city administration can properly manage it and IF we can get new roads built, then I'll be grateful. To me, building a facility such as this without proper access is like building a new home without streets to the subdivision.

Nonetheless, the facility is beautiful - all gleaming and clean with a ribbon display around the center that has over 300,000 indivdual LEDS. I especially like the entrance which opens up to you as you walk into it, unlike the Ford Center in OKC which is like a fortress. The BOK center has for its inspiration The River, the shape of a circle (known in American Indian cultures as a spiritual sign) and of course the city's art deco culture. Read more about this
new member of the Tulsa community www.tulsworld.com/bokcenter.