First National Center rose in 1931 as an art deco tower of 33 floors, its spire reaching 446 feet over downtown Oklahoma City. The building was constructed in 1931 by the First National Bank and Trust Company of Oklahoma City, and originally offered 451,000 square feet (41,900 m2) across its 33 floors. Its roof reaches 406 feet (136 m) and its spire 446 feet (150 m), a silhouette that bears a notable architectural resemblance to the Empire State Building.
In 1957 and again in 1972 additions expanded the property to 998,000 square feet (92,700 m2) of office space. A 2022 restoration and remodeling then reduced that total to 497,371 square feet (46,207.3 m2). Once owned by the First National Bank Corporation for use by the First National Bank and Trust Company, the tower now stands as the third tallest building in Oklahoma City, after the Devon Tower and BancFirst Tower, and the sixth tallest in the state.
From the spire down to the setbacks, the vertical rhythm of its art deco ornament ends at street level, where the entrances open into the Oklahoma City Underground's tunnels and elevated walkways.