How one architect reshaped Oklahoma City's skyline

On architect I.M. Pei's first visit to Oklahoma City, he walked the downtown sidewalks, entering stores, talking to owners, surveying the surroundings. His firm was to redesign downtown Oklahoma City as it moved toward urban renewal.

On this particular April day in 1964, his response after his initial tour was, "The city is too big."

When reporter Steve Lackmeyer reported the 100th anniversary ― or 100th birthday — of Pei in April 2017, he wrote:

"Pei's work over a century includes icons around the world, including the Louvre Pyramid. But not many cities can boast of an entire downtown reshaped by the architect. Oklahoma City, however, hasn't boasted of Pei's work here in decades. Many of those who remember his legacy, generally, are generally pretty critical of his unfinished vision."

On Sept. 7, 1965, the Oklahoma City Council had adopted the Pei Plan for urban renewal, remaking the city skyline. Decades later, to help readers understand the ultimate impact of this plan, Lackmeyer wrote in his 2017 story:

More: I.M. Pei legacy in OKC mixed on his 100th birthday

"Contractors hired by Urban Renewal leveled 447 buildings, and private owners tore out another 75 or so over 220 acres between NW 6 and Interstate 40, from Shartel to the BNSF Railway."

Learn more about how enthusiasm for Pei's Oklahoma City makeover eventually turned sour over time and another rebirth of the city later evolved ― the beginning of the MAPS revitalization program.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City skyline altered by I.M. Pei design, urban renewal