Great pictures of the gardens.

Wow that's a big compliment to be compared to Indy... that city has a great, unique, vibrant downtown, for sure.

I really think Myriad Gardens should stay even if it's expanded, even if it is changed in any way- in any case whatsoever. The name has a past. Whatever that past may be...

ODG, you crack me up.

And yes, I want to fly a kite downtown. We could probably try it at the Gardens...

But the name means absolutely nothing to the being of OKC. It's like the new downtown library... the design is totally irrelevant even though it's nice. They could have incorporated some local flair into the design, but no... it's a fine building, but it would have been better if they had. The Myriad name bears no local flair.

Urb.E. your photos from inside the tube totally add the visual to the "Botanical" part of the name. All the tropical greenery and the orchids . . . great photos . . . thanks a lot. Who is the guy in the blue shirt with the silly grin? Surly not you Urb? Very suburban looking shirt . . . . very non-gritty. Just kidding. Thanks again for the pics.

And, I'm all over a kite fly next spring. It can be the blog's spring event. I think we can find room for a few kites to fly down there. If too many people show up, we can be takin' it to the streets . . . . let those auto drivers go around.

Do we not all remember how far away the gardens are from I-40. Even if they really convert the land to gardens, they won't be attached to the "myriad gardens". There's Reno Ave, and Downtown Ford in the way between the two. I believe that the garden area isn't intended to be part of the Myriad Gardens though because it will stretch so far.

I just wish they hadn't had to take that old hotel when they origionally built the gardens....

I would like to see the concrete areas of the gardens at least stained so they dont look like conrete. I hate the cold feel of the conrete stuff when its surrounded by so much nature.

I would argue that Myriad has gained a local flair over time. My friend has a button from pre-MAPS that says "It's Our Myriad" or "We *heart* Our Myriad" or something like that, a protest button to the name-changing and renovation, I think. The name is embedded in the community, I think, while it may not be immediately obvious.

I think the words Commons and Park are even less fit to describe them simply because they are botanical gardens, not just a gathering place. Of course, they'res the option of calling it the OKC Botanical Garden or *insert civic leader* Botanical Garden, but does THAT have any sort of eclectic flair that "Myriad" has?

Doesn't anyone know where the name Myriad came from originally? Where's Doug?

Then what about Botanical Commons?

Or if you want a name that actually has an ounce of bearing to OKC, or more importantly, the site... howsabout the Biltmore Gardens? Or the Biltmore Myriad (because myriad actually is a word that describes a place nonetheless).

I am aquainted with Jim Tolbert who was very involved in the development of that wonderful facility and I will try to remember to inquire (both try and remember being the operative terms here) about the name, Myriad, when I next see him.

Also, I stongly disagree with the suggestion of staining the concrete at the Myriad. Concrete is a wonderful material in its own right and has found broad acceptance as a finished material without painting, texturing or applying any coating other than a colorless sealer.

The Kimbel and Modern Museums in Fort Worth, The Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas and many other outstanding buildings and other structures around the world relying on the subtle color variations, textures, natural pits, form marks and other interesting features inherent in poured concrete that have been constructed in the past twenty-five or so years aquire a very warm patina in a remarkably short time in the same, but not as dramatic a fashion, as unpainted steel that is left to rust. I am not suggesting that the change in color or texture is as pronounced, but only that the process of ageing or weathering is easily preceived, especially in concrete that is openly exposed.

Concrete is a very honest building material that, in many instances, looks really good on its own as long as we don't try to disguise it as something else. Just an opinion; one that I share with several thousand architects and designers around the world, and one that I have thoughtfully considered over a long period of time now.

The one qualifier I will add is that the concrete commonly (there's that word common again) used in OKC and in a lot of street and sidewalk construction uses agregate that is very white and the cured end product doesn't look much like "concrete" has historically looked. Over several years, it begins to turn to the brownish gray color that concrete used prior to about 1990 was, but most modern concrete is pretty stark until that ageing process has had lots of time to work.

The exposed concrete in many of the modern buildings made of poured concrete has a stain added to the mix at the batch plant to give it the "concrete" color. That is not true in all cases because the color or the local concrete varies around the US and around the world. In projects that I have done in OKC, I specified that 6 3/4 pounds of Dolese's Solom Brown stain be added to the mix per cubic yard to achieve that color result. The cured material is much easier on the eye than the uncolored version and blends in much better with any surrounding older material.

Perhaps more information than anyone wanted.

A lesson in the world of concrete, courtesy of ODG.

I have no clue aside from the general term used to describe the convention center as having a "myriad" of uses. Just guessing, but I'd suppose that the Myriad was the focus and that the "Myriad Botanical Gardens" just got it's name because it ws next to the convention center and it all tied together. But, it sounds like the ODG will find out for us!

You could do a blog entry on that...

I'm thinking I.M. Pei's plan for the Arts District was to create a "myriad" urban community, but then the bust came...

Well contrary to TODG, I don't think you would find many folks that share your love of the look of conrete....that's why people paint it and do what the can to cover it up. Sure, its a great material that stands the test of time, but it's ugly ugly ugly. Why do you think people developed things like concrete stain? Why do people paint conrete office buildings...cause they don't like the look of concrete....grey, dull, drab, its like a weight pulling you down. YUK! Remember the movie "Joe Versus the Volcano"?

The Myriad was painted because the conrete looked bad. I think everyone would agree that the new color looks much better than the old greay crap. I'm just saying do the same on the structures of the garden....not the sidewalks or anything. For example, the stage area....would it not look immensely better if the color of the area accented the surrounding vegetation and water instead of completely contrasting the feel of warm to cold?

Obviously ones like or dislike of natural concrete structures is a matter of taste and not much point in arguing about it, though I really enjoy a good argument.

I ask just one thing though bombermwc, what is your view of the buildings I mentioned in my concrete post; like them, hate them, never seen them, don't know and don't care, all of the architects, architectural critics & architectural publications that have praised them are off their rocker?

Seems like you just repeated your opinion without expanding on why you hold it and then suggested that it was very much a majority opinion. Perhaps it is. I don't know. I'm not being a smart ass here, I'm just curious. I acknowledge and respect your personal opinion but I don't think it is appropriate or accurate that one person should ascribe their personal preferences to as large a group as the know universe except those that fall into the tiny "I don't think you would find many folks" segment.

It may seem like a minor point, but I find that all too often I delude myself into believing that most folks think the same as I do only to find out that a lot of folks don't. Doesn't mean I'm wrong and they are right or vice versa. It just means that we disagree. That is why when I express an opinion and I can go a little further and demonstrate, or at least suggest, that the same opinion is also held by respected groups, experts or professionals in a particular field, I try to mention that support for my opinion. In the particular instance of naked concrete, I can find and post numberous weblinks to support my view, but I'll just include this one of one of my favorite buildings in the world.

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Kimbell_Museum.html

No one can make things so just because they say they are. For instance, a lawer has to present evidence of the merit of their argument, they just can't tell the judge that they are correct about this or that and expect to prevail. I'm not suggesting that discussing opinions on this forum should take on the same restrictions and requirements as those found in court, but perhaps more thoughtful consideration of expressed opinions with additional reasoning or a documentable broader basis of support would be worthwhile.

I guess that is just my opion about opinions.

Stage Center also has bare concrete in the design, doesn't it?

I actually think the concrete works in the Myriad Gardens. It's another instance of the stark contrast between man and nature that I find charming about urban parks themselves. Plus, if it were painted or stained, it would have to be re-painted and re-stained or touched up often, or else it would look dilapidated.

As you said man, its a matter of opinion, yours and mine. We'll agree to disagree because we could go round and round. For every source I find someone that hates it, your going to find one that says they like it, so what's the point in arguing. I would ask you though, how many buildings today use concrete as their main exterior surface without doing something to it to finish it? When was the last time you saw a non manufacturing facility (and non public-works type) facility use concrete plainly? Think around town in OKC even....you'll see it convered in Stucco or something because people don't like to look at concrete...plain and simple.

The Kimbell museum's concrete look appears to be treated, except for the accent part adorning the dome-like curves of the roof line.

It has more of a stucco appearance to me.

Anyway, I can't think of anything that would be a better idea than to expand the Myriad gardens, buy-out the land where the car dealers are (eminent domain will need to be used to prevent price gouging of our municipality, b/c you know the only reason those lots are there is because that land is worth a TON of money) and then extend it 3 or 4 blocks south, at least so that the new boulevard goes through it.

The Myriad Gardens really need to become the center of this city's municipal renaissance. I can't think of a more appropriate facility to call a Commons.