Legends Tower Eyes America’s Tallest Building Title

It’s been a year since Legends Tower was first announced, sparking widespread interest in what could soon be the tallest building in the United States. 

Planned for Oklahoma City, the supertall skyscraper is expected to redefine the city’s skyline, but questions and excitement surround its development.

Record-breaking height 

Legends Tower is slated to reach an incredible 1,907 feet (581 metres), making it the tallest building in the U.S. and the sixth tallest globally. Originally proposed at 1,750 feet (533 metres) in January 2024, the tower’s height was increased by nearly 200 feet later that month.

Design and features 

Designed by California-based architecture firm AO, Legends Tower will feature a sleek glass façade, surrounded at its base by smaller towers. 

The design includes a distinctive spire and a slight indentation at the peak, adding to its architectural drama and making it stand out on the Oklahoma City skyline.

The tower is part of the larger Boardwalk at Bricktown development, situated in the post-industrial Bricktown neighbourhood, blending seamlessly into the city’s ongoing urban redevelopment. It will include residential units, office spaces, and a hotel, with affordable housing also integrated into the plan.

Timeline and challenges 

Though Oklahoma City’s planning commission approved the project in April 2024 after developer Mattson Capital secured full funding, construction has yet to begin as of February 2025. Local aviation authorities have raised concerns about the tower’s height and its potential impact on flight paths, which might lead to a slight reduction in height.

Bruce Greenfield, a partner at AO, explained that the design of the tower evolved as investments grew, stating, “We didn’t set out to design the nation’s tallest skyscraper, but the project grew naturally, and we aimed for an elegant, graceful design.”

Criticism and controversy 

Despite the excitement, the project has faced scepticism. Some critics question the economic viability of constructing such a large tower in Oklahoma City, a smaller metropolitan area with just over 700,000 residents. 

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Local officials, such as City Council members James Cooper and Joe Beth Hamon, have also raised concerns about the affordable housing component of the development, suggesting the approval process was less rigorous than usual for local housing initiatives.

Whether Legends Tower will rise to its full potential remains to be seen, but it certainly continues to capture attention as the next possible American architectural icon.

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