Legends Tower is expected to be built in Oklahoma City with a height of 581 m, about 40 m higher than One World Trade Center.
Authorities are considering a project to build the tallest new skyscraper in America, Interesting Engineering reported on April 19. The new building, Legends Tower, is not located in crowded New York City or Chicago but was built in Oklahoma City with a population of only about 700,000 people. The project will be located in a parking lot near the tracks and warehouse.
Initially, Legends Tower was expected to be the second tallest building in America. But then the designers and developers decided to go further. According to the new plan, the structure will rise to 1,907 ft (581 m) to commemorate the year Oklahoma became the 46th US state. Thus, Legends Tower will be about 40 m higher than the current tallest skyscraper in the US, One World Trade Center in New York City. The building will rank 6th in the ranking of the world’s tallest buildings, after China’s Ping An international financial center.
Surrounding the main skyscraper Legends Tower are three smaller buildings, each 105 meters high. Legends Tower is expected to have about 1,750 residential apartments and a luxury hotel. The estimated cost of the project, which includes structures such as water tanks and boardwalks, is $1.6 billion.
However, the new project also faces some problems. Building so tall in a city with a population of less than 1 million people doesn’t seem to make much financial sense. Additionally, during a city planning meeting, another concern was raised regarding the weather.
Oklahoma City suffered many tornadoes, making it difficult to build a tall building like Legends Tower. To solve this problem, manager Rob Budetti at AO – the company in charge of designing Legends Tower – said that engineers will build a thick concrete core around the elevator shaft to ensure stability. The building’s windows will also be able to withstand the impact of a tornado without damage. Budetti even believes that this is one of the safe places for humans if a tornado occurs.
The Oklahoma City Planning Commission approved the project, despite some hurdles, including a June 4 city meeting. If all goes well, project developer Scot Matteson hopes to start construction in July this year.
