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Bowling on the Mother Road

Tulsa's iconic Rose Bowl bowling alley has been closed for almost three years now. The parabolas of concrete have been the victim of arson, vandals and a non-compete clause that won't allow anyone to open a bowling alley on the site. But the current owner, Sam Baker, claims the structure is sound. Rumors of a Route 66 museum have been tossed around for some time.

Tulsa's futuristic Rose Bowl is a landmark on Route 66.So far the only progress has been a much-needed coat of paint.

When it was announced the Googie-esque lanes were to close I rushed over with camera in hand. These pictures are from March 2005 and give you some idea just how hideous the paint scheme looked at that time. I'm happy to report it's pink again.

The interior looking across the lanes and the futuristic sound baffles.The Rose Bowl opened in 1962 and was designed by modernist architect Bill Ryan. He also designed the oft-maligned East Central High School and the Lutheran church that overlooks the Broken Arrow Expressway like a huge concrete chicken.

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The Recent Past

Oklahoma State Capitol Bank

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," but it's still an unusual bank. Designed by Robert Roloff of the architectural firm Bailey, Bozalis, Dickinson & Roloff, the State Capitol Bank caused quite a stir in Oklahoma City when it opened. Heck, it's still pretty shocking today! Originally the flying saucers appeared to hover above the building (as seen in this vintage postcard). All the glass that made that effect possible also made heating and cooling an expensive proposition. Security concerns also mandated replacement of those windows with solid materials and small square portholes

Visit to the Prairie Chicken House

This unique house on the edge of Norman, Oklahoma is known to most as the prairie chicken house. Designed by Herb Greene in 1960, he preferred to call it simply the Prairie House .  Thanks to the  Prairie House Preservation Society  (PHPS) it is now possible for the public to experience one of Oklahoma's most unusual architectural treasures. 

The Bruce Goff House in Vinita

We were recently surprised to learn about a Goff-designed home just an hour away from Tulsa in Vinita, Oklahoma. Vinita is probably best known to OK Mod readers as the home of the Glass House on I-44, also known as (shudder) the World's Largest Largest McDonalds . Anywho, turned out the Goff house was on the market, and the owner was more than happy to let us have a look around. We took a short drive up the turnpike one Sunday afternoon to meet the realtor, snap some pictures, ask some questions and enjoy another one of Bruce Goff's unique creations. The home is known as the Adams House and was built in 1961. The 3,700 square foot home is arranged in a circular floor plan with a large sunken "conversation pit" at the center. Rising up from this pit is a large metal fireplace, its chimney surrounded by skylights, which dominates the entire house. Rooms surround the perimeter with folding accordion doors acting as walls. To maintain some semblance of privacy an inner