Oklahoma Modern

Discover Downtown Gems on Tulsa Treasures Tour

2009-12-01T07:40:00.006-06:00

This Saturday you can tour some of Tulsa's most important buildings. TulsaNow is sponsoring a walking tour of architecturally significant downtown Tulsa buildings. The free tour will allow visitors to see the ins and outs of four historic buildings. Art Deco to Mid Century Modern is on the menu! Just one type of Zig Zag you'll see on the tour.The event comes on the heels of a recently completed

More Fun with Concrete

2009-10-29T15:57:00.002-05:00

It's no wonder so many cool modern buildings are made from concrete.What else is so strong and versatile yet relatively cheap? With the invention of pre-stressed concrete we saw a boom in unique forms that would have never been possible using standard techniques. Even the most utilitarian of structure could now have an exotic and lively look. These mod concrete awnings over the pool at Henthorne

Mod New Orleans School Needs Help

2009-10-07T11:44:00.010-05:00

I admit, New Orleans is a long way from Oklahoma. But this story struck me as important enough to share. This 1954 school building is endangered and could easily become the latest victim of Hurricane Katrina. The Phyllis Wheatley School featured an elevated design that provided a shaded recreation area under the building, not to mention protection from rising water. Today the building is

Better Living by Design Video

2009-10-04T10:31:00.002-05:00

We've neglected these modern pages recently because I've been ultra busy with a video project called Two Wheel Oklahoma. I'm happy to report it's now airing every Saturday morning at 9 AM on KMYT-TV in Tulsa. Speaking of video- the folks at Winston Media put together a great little clip show from the Modern Tulsa event held last month at Philbrook and Cucine Moderne. The event was held

Just Another Teardown

2009-09-17T18:37:00.005-05:00

This smart looking modern house doesn't stand a chance.I've always liked the house, especially the upstairs deck and railing. It looks like a very sensible size (which means it's tiny by modern standards) and doesn't appear to be very run down.Unfortunately it's cursed with a prime location that adjoins a large vacant lot. The realtor is so convinced nobody would want this boxy Fifties bungalow

Thanks Dwell

2009-09-11T07:20:00.007-05:00

Last week I noticed new visitors to Oklahoma Modern being sent from Dwell magazine's website.Dwell is one of my fave magazines, so I was curious. I investigated and was delighted to find a new resource listing modern sites of regional interest- such as the one you're looking at now.Here's a link to the page which includes a map of the various sites sprinkled across our Great Land...Dwell's

Modern Night at Philbrook

2009-09-06T21:35:00.003-05:00

Two modern exhibits happen to coincide this month at Tulsa's Philbrook Museum of Art.To celebrate this occasion Modern Tulsa invites you to join them for an evening at Philbrook. The event is free, you just need to RSVP to Moderntulsa.net.A new gallery featuring selected works from the George Kravis II Collection of modern design opens September 8, 2009. The collection features items from 1900

World Museum's Final Exhibit

2009-09-03T14:59:00.004-05:00

It's called Rubble.We originally told you about the impending demolition of the former T.L. Osborn complex back in November 2008. The former home of the Osborn Ministries, their Interstate Temple and the bizarre World Museum were being razed to make room for the widening of I-44.The last week the demolition revved into high gear. This photo was snapped just hours before the landmark parabolic

Fascination with the Neon

2009-08-27T13:52:00.006-05:00

El Rancho Grande is a local fixture here in Tulsa, having been in their current location on Old Route 66 since 1953. A few weeks back they decided to spruce up their vintage sign that hangs on front of the building. Last night we dropped in for a "lights on" ceremony as they fired it up for the first time.The get-together was sponsored by Modern Tulsa and I was happily surprised by the

Letter from Dallas

2009-08-15T19:12:00.021-05:00

or Everything's Bigger in Texas.We recently visited Dallas for a few days of wining, dining and shopping. Our hideaway for this excursion, the Abby Brown Guest House, put us close to Knox-Henderson, Greenville and North Park Mall. Here's a few notes from the trip...One of our first stops was Design Within Reach. As you can see they have a Texas-sized version of the classic adjustable desk lamp. I

ORU Upgrades Not All Good

2009-07-30T19:23:00.003-05:00

Love it or hate it, the architecture of Oral Roberts University is nothing if not unique.For years I've heard that ORU is the most visited tourist site in Tulsa. I have no idea if that factoid is true. But I do know from my own personal experience that out-of-state visitors often ask me to drive them past the futuristic campus on South Lewis.What happens when Tomorrowland runs headlong into cold,

Bruce Goff's Bavinger House

2009-07-19T09:00:00.017-05:00

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 5Probably the best known stop on our modern bus tour of Oklahoma City is actually on the outskirts of Norman. The bizarre abode known as the Bavinger House is nestled beside a two-lane strip of asphalt and hidden amongst blackjack trees and tall bamboo.While writing this fifth and final installment for On the Trail of Julius Shulman we received sad news of

St. Patrick's Catholic Church

2009-07-05T07:59:00.000-05:00

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 4Probably the most surprising stop on our OKC bus tour was this boxy concrete church on North Portland Avenue. We were amazed that we'd never come across this unique structure before.The Saint Patrick Catholic Church was designed by Tulsa architectural firm Murray-Jones-Murray in 1962. This is the same group that gave us the Tulsa International Airport, the

Mods from Stillwater

2009-06-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

On a recent trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma we absorbed some of the Mid-Century karma that is sprinkled around the city. This is not an exhaustive list- just what we managed to visit in one day before we were exhausted.First Christian ChurchThis beauty sits at the edge of the OSU campus on Duck just south of Hall of Fame. The unique steeple sports several bells and is flanked by the interesting

Googie in Joplin

2009-06-25T05:12:00.005-05:00

Returning from a motorcycle rally in Crane, Missouri about a year ago I came across this wonderful sign.It's a great example of Googie style, with wacky shapes and a classic red flying wing (okay, it's really a chevron). It demands you pull in the parking lot.The Capri Motel appeared to be intact, but not near as well preserved as this neon sign out front.What the heck is Googie?

More Oklahoma Lustrons

2009-06-22T11:47:00.002-05:00

We've been fascinated by the metal homes made by Lustron for many years. In fact, one of the very posts on this site was to document two examples here in Green Country (see Lustron: the Power of Steel). Now, here's an update to our search for Lustrons in Oklahoma.Turns out there are three Lustron homes in Oklahoma on the National Register of Historic Places. Two are in Stillwater and one is

Seminoff-Designed Home in Nichols Hills

2009-06-17T08:46:00.008-05:00

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 3The third stop on our architectural tour of Oklahoma City was the low-slung McConnell Residence.This house was the first project designed by architect George Seminoff after graduating from the University of Oklahoma. The home was commissioned in 1957 by a local asphalt magnate and is located at the corner of Greystone Avenue and Pembroke Terrace in Oklahoma

Tulsa's First Modern Home Tour a Success

2009-06-14T07:18:00.015-05:00

The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture's first modern home tour attracted approximately 150 attendees to tour six Lortondale homes.Beginning in 1954 about 250 low-slung modern homes were built on, what was then, the outskirts of East Tulsa. Today enthusiastic owners are restoring, renovating and repairing previous "remuddles" that were not kind to these Mid-Century classics. The tour, entitled "

Lortondale Home Tour

2009-06-06T19:12:00.008-05:00

Living in Hi Fi is the first annual modern home tour presented by the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture's Modern Tulsa Committee.Please join us June 13th beginning at 5:30 pm in the Lortondale neighborhood, located just east of South Yale between 26th Street and 27th Place (map). Cost is $10 in advance or $15 on the tour.The tour will feature six homes in various stages of renovation/restoration-

Golden Door Motel

2009-05-29T07:20:00.021-05:00

Roadside Modern Found in Neighboring MissouriOn a recent excursion to Lake of the Ozarks we discovered this gem of a roadside motel. The unique moving sign caught our eye- and the zig zag roof drew us in. But the real treat is the Sixties style and courtyard pool!The Golden Door Motel is a classic example of a roadside, park-at-your-door motel. The fact that it's so clean and well maintained is

Church Blows its Top

2009-05-22T10:23:00.000-05:00

Parkview Baptist Church is located on South Sheridan Road just north of 61st Street. Like many churches it grew in stages. The original sanctuary is a curly roof building from the Sixties (shown in the foreground of this photo). Later a larger sanctuary was built with a pyramid hip roof and a large wooden steeple.But now that steeple is gone.Yesterday I noticed workmen and a large crane were

Oklahoma State Capitol Bank

2009-05-21T12:05:00.002-05:00

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 2"This is a bank," the sign outside the futuristic building read. According to legend a prankster added a strategic question mark and echoed the sentiment of many passers-by: "This is a bank?"That was back in 1964 when it opened. Today the Arvest on Lincoln Boulevard looks a bit less Jetsonian, mostly due to replacement of structural glass below the "saucers,"

St. Luke's Methodist Church in OKC

2009-05-13T09:59:00.006-05:00

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 1St Luke's United Methodist Church is located just north of downtown Oklahoma City at 15th and Robinson. The church sits at the edge of an area where low-rise commercial and brick apartment buildings give way to a residential neighborhood. A round chapel and unique bell tower command a dominating view of these nearby homes.The striking lines and choice of

On the Trail of Julius Shulman

2009-05-04T14:11:00.009-05:00

On Saturday we had the good fortune to attend the Oklahoma Modernism Architecture Tour, an event conducted in conjunction with the Julius Shulman exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA), now ongoing through June 7 (see Mod Photog). The guided tour featured visits to five homes and commercial buildings that Shulman had photographed during his visits to Oklahoma throughout the Fifties

Video: Goff in the Desert

2009-04-16T10:29:00.001-05:00

We heard about this video and thought it might be a fun way to learn more about the various buildings designed by the late Bruce Goff. We were delighted to learn Goff in the Desert is available on Netflix, and promptly added it to our queue.Goff gained notoriety over the years as an inspired and eccentric architect. A good deal of his work is located here in Oklahoma and the neighboring states of