Lighting fixtures in public areas, like the lobby, were recreated from photos of the hotel in its heyday. A mixture of LEDs and CFLs are being used in the fixtures, depending on the style of light and its historic nature. Meanwhile, the Crystal Ballroom’s chandeliers were replicated from one original chandelier the Mayo’s new owner was able to save. “There had been four chandeliers in the ballroom, and they measured probably 40 inches in diameter and 5- or 6-feet tall,” Slaughter says. “Instead of crystal, we were able to use acrylic to rehab the existing chandelier and create the new ones. Every one of the chandeliers was hand-set. The lighting really turned out well.”
Although the refurbished interiors with sparkling chandeliers are what receive the most attention in the Mayo Hotel, what’s happening behind the walls is uber important to the comfort of guests and residents. Traditional galvanized steel mains deliver cold water to each hotel floor but cross-linked polyethylene, or PEX, piping distributes the water to each living space. In addition, each hotel room and apartment has its own air handler for hydronic heating, which is delivered by PEX from boilers in the basement. Altogether, about 121,000 feet of PEX was run through the hotel.
The piping had to be hidden with other systems, including electrical, fire sprinkler, ventilation and communications, in chases above the 9-foot-high ceilings on each floor. According to Todd Ringgold, vice president of plumbing services for Palmer Mechanical, Tulsa, the overhead chases were only 3- or 4-feet wide and 4- to 5-inches deep. The PEX was delivered in coils up to 1,000 feet in length and needed no pipe connections, which helped Ringgold’s 25-member crew, pipe the hotel quickly. “This was a year-long project, but we actually finished faster than we thought we would,” he remembers. “Going with the PEX gave us the freedom to go wherever we needed and we didn’t have to worry about getting up in a little space and screwing pipe together.”
Ringgold was introduced to PEX by a client on another rehab project and has been using it ever since not only because the manufacturer of the product he uses (see “Retrofit Materials” sidebar, below) offers a 25-year warranty, including damages if there’s a problem with the product, but also because he actually uses less PEX than traditional pipe on jobs. “At the Mayo Hotel, we would’ve needed more pipe if we hadn’t used PEX,” Ringgold says. “Building with traditional piping would’ve required more chases to run more lines through.”
More Memories Ahead
As work was beginning on the Crystal Ballroom’s journey back from the dead, excitement spread among the contractors. Slaughter and his team rushed to the ballroom to see what was happening. “Everybody was just standing around watching a huge barn owl with a wingspan of about 5 1/2 feet,” he remembers. “All the pigeons had disappeared, but now we had to call the local guy who gets rid of unwanted pests to remove the owl and find it a new home.”
Owls are symbols of good luck, according to English folklore, and perhaps this owl did bring good luck to the Mayo Hotel’s second life. Today, all of its apartments are occupied and there’s a waiting list of future residents. A new generation of celebrities—Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and OneRepublic—are making the hotel home while entertaining locals at the BOK Center. And new memories are being created as people once again dance the night away in the Crystal Ballroom. “This hotel was so cherished in its early days and now people are cherishing it again,” Slaughter revels. “For me, that building was the project of a lifetime.”
Retrofit Team
Architect, Engineer, Construction Manager: Phillips Slaughter Rose Inc., Tulsa, Okla., (918) 488-9995
Exterior Masonry: R B Weatherman Masonry Inc., Chouteau, Okla.
Decorative Plaster: Casting Designs Inc., Fort Worth, Texas
HVAC and Plumbing Systems: Palmer Mechanical, Tulsa
Electrical Systems: Temco Electric, Tulsa, (918) 835-1500
Marble Matching: EuroCraft, Glenpool, Okla.
Retrofit Materials
Water and Hydronic Piping: AquaPEX and Wirsbo hePEX from Uponor
Terracotta Repair: Jahn M100 from Cathedral Stone Products
Wall-rated Penetration Tools: Hilti
Lobby Pendants: Lightsmith Custom Lighting