The dream team that collaborated on the iconic Skydance Bridge in Oklahoma City shared their design process with Sooner Spaces. Learn about the bid process, architecture, civil engineering, fabrication, lighting process and budget - and how the mating ritual of the scissortail flycatcher inspired the bridge. See why urban art is bringing more business to downtown Oklahoma City.

1. Oklahoma City SkyDance Bridge: for Sooner Spaces

2. HISTORY OF THE SITE AND PROJECT

3. 2005-2006 Downtown to the River Studio

6. The letter from the mayor
which has invited team
SXL as only one of five to
compete …team SXL is
the underdog against
internationally recognized
larger firms..each team
receives a $10,000 stipend
to prepare their concept

7. OUTPUT TEAM

8. Most of us had not designed a bridge ..what we
lacked in experience we made up with passion

9. PART ONE OUTPUT TEAM

10. THE PURSUIT OF INSPIRATION

11. Oklahoma…where the wind comes sweeping down the plain…..

12. A history of aeronautics..from Wiley Post to modern defense weapons

13. Power from the wind: vertical structures are bold markers
on the horizontal plane

14. Route 66 icons

15. PROCESS: DESIGN THINKING

16. May 2008

17. May 2008

18. May 2008

19. Single Truss – Twist June 2008

20. Wall Cloud July 2008

21. Wind July 2008

22. Single Truss Knife July 2008

24. The male scissortail courts the female by performing acrobatic
maneuvers which involves diving recklessly towards the
ground..this is known as the “skydance”

26. Oil rig structures, which have led
to the state’s booms and busts, are
analogous to the spirit of
hardworking Oklahomans and the
scissortail ..they achieve a lot with a
little…bridges must also do the
same

28. The first crude model

29. Gathering frequently and often very
early in the morning the team
shares and debates ideas

30. July 2008

31. July 2008

33. Scissor July 2008

34. Aug 2008

37. After collectively spending over 1,400 hours…without any real pay (the
$10,000 stipend was mostly spent on the model, coffee and donuts)… the
passionate team proudly presents their concept..which wins..a victory for the
underdog

41. THE COMMISSION

42. INPUT PLAYERS
City of Oklahoma City
Mayor
Public Works
Community
SHPO
ODOT
WIND TUNNEL TESTING
OUTSIDE CONSULTING ENGINEERS (Modjeski and Masters)
FABRICATORS
PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS
FHWA
FEDERAL AVIATION

43. PART ONE OUTPUT TEAM DUKING IT OUT

48. July 2010: Working towards 90% Submittal
Long story short…
$5M Budget expands to $12.8M due to forces beyond the team’s control such
as changing codes, added requirements and scope by Client. At this point the
Client informs the team that they must redesign the bridge to meet the new
budget of $6.8M ..and by the way still meet the same deadline and provide an
iconic presence. A challenging task to say the least.. …..However the team
comes up with a new structural approach of using a truss bridge with the “bird”
as an independent sculpture which is architecturally much closer to the
original concepts and the budget goals are met. Success!

51. Engineering Issues
Another long story told even shorter. Amidst
working on the project codes were changed
which required an unprecedented increase in
minimum performance of the structure to
withstand loads from wind from multiple
directions, seismic, ice, a vehicle driving over
the bridge..ALL at the same time….Our
engineers saved the day and made it work..On
time and budget

52. How Stan Carroll made it all work in 3d…..a
screen shot of how he programmed the
model…magical

57. The Creative Process within Fabrication

75. Oklahoma City SkyDance Bridge: Bridge to Design Thinking