The country's new tallest skyscraper is to be built in an atypical location

When you think of the United States of America, unique buildings may come to mind: the Statue of Liberty in New York City, for example, the Golden Gate Bridge at the entrance to San Francisco Bay, the Empire State Building and the twin towers of the World Trade Center – both New York City.

In the case of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, these are all or were landmarks of the USA.

Now a new landmark is to be created. However, not in one of the large coastal metropolises like New York, but surprisingly in the comparatively manageable Oklahoma City, which is located almost exactly in the middle of the USA. A city with almost 700,000 inhabitants (via Dezeen).

581 instead of 533 meters

The Legends Tower is said to be 581 meters high will once grace the face of the capital of the state of Oklahoma. This development is new and was approved by the Oklahoma City Planning Commission just a few days ago. The final vote on the project will take place in June.

Until recently, the skyscraper was only supposed to be 533 meters high, although this would not have displaced One World Trade Center (541 meters high) from first place among the tallest buildings in the United States.

The architectural firm AO and the property developer Matteson Capital therefore submitted an application for a height change to the responsible authorities in January 2024.

Why should the tallest building in the USA be built?

It's about prestige and, with it, money. Oklahoma City wants to transform itself into a global destination, as Rob Budetti, managing partner of AO, announced (via Dezeen).

Home to the largest building in the USA would undoubtedly be a fitting showcase for the city. If built, the Legends Tower would more than double the height of Oklahoma City's tallest building to date, the Devon Energy Tower (257 meters high), which was completed in 2012.

Depending on the source, the construction costs of the project are estimated at 1.5 to 1.6 billion US dollars (around 1.4 to 1.5 billion euros). However, this includes three additional towers, each 105 meters high, which will house retail space.

What will the Legends Tower house? A luxury hotel and apartments will be housed on a total of 134 floors. There are also parking spaces and areas for retail. Restaurants are also likely to be part of the planning.

When should construction begin?

An exact start date has not yet been set. However, Scott Matteson, founder of Matteson Capital, expects construction preparations to begin shortly after the city council makes a final decision on the project. That would be in June 2024.

Criticism of the project

What you may have noticed from the pictures: The Legends Tower and its outbuildings are colorfully illuminated. At least one resident of the city is critical of this, according to a report by The Oklahoman shows: We're not Las Vegas.

Concerns were also raised about weather conditions in Oklahoma City. The city has been repeatedly hit by tornadoes, causing destruction and dozens of deaths.

Those responsible for the project assured The Wall Street Journal However, this scenario was taken into account.

Where would Legends Tower rank in a global ranking?

At 581 meters, the Legends Tower would be in sixth place internationally:

1. Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): 828 meters
2. PNB 118 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia): 679 meters
3. Shanghai Tower (Shanghai, China): 632 meters
4. Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Mecca, Saudi Arabia): 601 meters
5. Ping An Finance Center (Shenzhen, China): 599 meters

how do you see it? Would you visit Oklahoma City just to see the tallest building in the United States? Feel free to write it to us in the comments!