Few building materials are as "modern" as concrete. One of the most prominent uses for concrete in the Fifties and Sixties was decorative block. And chances are, if the building is in Tulsa, the decorative block came from Chandler Materials Company. At one time they made nearly a dozen styles of shapely concrete blocks to suit the most demanding eye. Today Chandler primarily makes concrete drainage pipe and culverts. The entrance to their plant on East 15th Street bears evidence to their more aesthetic past. Samples of each decorative concrete block make up their own section of a wall outside their entry gate. Walls and privacy screens made of these blocks are common in Tulsa neighborhoods such as Ranch Acres, Sungate, Lortondale, Patrick Henry and Park Plaza. Sadly the plant no longer produces these unique designs. Only one decorative block is still in production- a rectangular design (third from right above) called the Sunray.
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