I've received several responses from people around the country asking about the Victory Bible Institute building, aka the Osborn Foundation's World Museum and Interstate Temple complex. Most of the response has been from preservationists curious to know if demolition is imminent, and whether there is any chance of saving this structure. Today I confirmed with sources at INCOG and ODOT that the I-44 widening project is going "through" this unique building. The image (right) is taken from a 2005 plan for the I-44 widening project through Tulsa that was issued by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). While some details of the plan have changed over the last few years, this particular detail has not. It shows the current and proposed routes of I-44, and the adjacent frontage road known as Skelly Drive. In this view you're seeing the intersection of Quincy Avenue and Skelly Drive (just east of Peoria). The blue tinted areas are the new highway route. The g
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