Spirit Torch - Midwest City Welcome Monument
A construction project more than a decade in the making became a reality for City staff last weekend as the primary pieces for Spirit Torch were installed at I-40 and Hudiburg Dr. Crews worked throughout the day Sunday, August 22, assembling the large steel "torch" structure atop the new monument. Anchored by a tiered concrete base that has been in place since October 2020, Spirit Torch creates an impressive welcome sign for eastbound travelers on I-40 in Midwest City.
The design of Spirit Torch was developed in meetings that began in 2008 between City staff, architects and engineers. The monument is a tribute to Midwest City's relationship with the aviation and aerospace industries, as well as our close connections to Tinker Air Force Base. Inspiration was drawn from aviation-related design elements found in the community, including wing-like roof and air traffic control tower designs found in Town Center Plaza. Inspiration was also found in elements of hangar design and the recently replaced air traffic control tower on Tinker Air Force Base. At the top of Spirit Torch, the "roof" is constructed from strips of steel in a windmill pattern resembling jet engine fan blades.
Corten steel was used to construct a majority of the structure which stands 45 feet at its top mast. Designers chose Corten, a popular material used in modern architecture, because it contrasts well with the stainless steel included in the project. The look and color of the steel is a patina that can change characteristics as it ages. Four piers, anchored 27 feet deep, secure the base of the Corten structure. Spirit Torch is designed to engineering standards and is expected to withstand extreme wind conditions.
Oklahoma City-based architectural firm TAP was contracted to provide professional design services for the welcome monument in April 2014. Since that time, there have been many challenges, redesigns and location changes to overcome. Anthony McDermid, TAP's founding principal architect, recently reiterated his firm's commitment to the project. In a letter to Mayor Dukes and the City Council, he expressed TAP's anticipation and excitement about the "prolonged but successful completion of Midwest City's Spirit Torch."
Spirit Torch can be seen on the south side of I-40, just west of the Hudiburg Dr. crossover bridge. Construction of the monument was managed by Jim Cooley Construction, LLC and inspected by City staff. The tower structure was hauled from the fabrication site in Van Buren, AR and installed in less than one day. To finish the installation, programmable LED accent lighting will be added, as well as an accent beacon that will shine from the top mast standing 45 feet in the air.
Spirit Torch Facts:
Height = 45' Total, 35' to fan blades (roof)
Weight = 16,000 lbs. (8 tons) of steel
Support = (4) 27' deep anchoring piers secure the base of the structure
Project Cost = $720,959.03
Funding Source = $475,000 appropriated in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. City capital project funds were used to fund the rest of the project.
Design = TAP (The Architectural Partnership)
Project Contractor = Cooley Construction (MWC roots and considers this a hometown project)
