Noted as a silver thumbThe first time I saw the new Devon Energy Center recently built in Oklahoma City, I was appalled. It seemed lopsided, sticking out from the rest of the horizon like a silvery sore thumb. It may be the tallest building in Oklahoma, but it's ugly. What was the city thinking, allowing such horror to dominate the horizon for miles around? Look at him! In the daytime it is visible for miles, a solitary, bland structure jutting into the sky. At night, a simple floating and luminous triangle. Whose idea is this? An expertise nonetheless. My first impression was probably a little hasty. Looking back, I remember the first complaints about the “useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower” when it was built. The more I learn about the details of the tower, the more I recognize the expertise of Devon Energy and its architects Pickard Chilton. Architectural expertise is a tall order (no pun intended). The building must above all be functional. The prettiest building in the world demonstrates a lamentable lack of craftsmanship if it cannot fulfill its role well. The Devon Energy Center had a very specific goal: to provide a single workplace for Devon's employees, who, as the company grew, were dispersed to various buildings across the city. Accordingly, the design started from the inside, considering communications between departments and appropriate floor plans. The exterior building plans were also developed with functionality in mind. The tower's cross section, a modified equilateral triangle, is oriented to minimize unwanted solar gain - important for a very sunny location with months of 90 and 100ºF per day in summer. Architectural expertise also requires beautiful form. While my first impressions were in the middle of paper...... Sheet metal. September 17, 2013. http://mgmcgrath.com/devon-energy-center-achieves-leed-gold-certification/. Internet. Accessed June 13, 2014. Broome, Beth and Malone, Alanna "Corporate Green: Energy Company's Landmark Headquarters Symbolizes Renewed Urbanism in Oklahoma City." » Greensource Magazine. September 2013. http://greensource.construction.com/green_building_projects/2013/1309-devon-energy-center.asp. Internet. Accessed June 13, 2014.[na] “Owner Resource 2012” The Devon Owner Relations Team. Devon Energy Corp. PDF. Accessed June 13, 2014.[na] “View of the tower through the Oculus Rotunda” Design Intelligence. Aker Imaging. http://www.di.net/almanac/firms/pickard-chilton/. Internet. Accessed June 13, 2014. Crossbie, Michael J. Devon: The Story of a Civic Landmark. Images Publishing, Mulgrave, Vic., Australia. 2013. Print.