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Showing posts from June, 2009

Mods from Stillwater

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 Church This 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 roof. Stillwater National Bank Downtown Stillwater is dominated by this 1967 bank building at 6th and Main. The bank features underground parking and unique "umbrellas" along the perimeter. Above the entrance is this massive light fixture. St. Andrews Episcopal Church This tidy box was dedicated in 1965 on Third Street, just around the corner from Hideaway Pizza. St. Andrews has some interesting stained glass windows. St. Andrews was designed by three church members, F. Cuthbert & Christine Salmon and Phil Wilber. I bet that awning was not their idea! Well, that's all for now.

Googie in Joplin

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

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 located in Cushing. All three are grey and appear to be the two-bedroom model. These are the two Lustrons in Stillwater. They're pretty similar except one has a mysterious aluminum patch near the entry. The real prefab gem from this trip is this beauty in Cushing. Note the contrasting trim and optional Lustron garage out back. Very nice! To locate Lustrons near you visit Lustron Preservation.org and use their handy, dandy Lustron Locator.

Seminoff-Designed Home in Nichols Hills

On the Trail of Julius Shulman: Stop 3 The 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 City. It was featured on the cover of a Parade of Homes newspaper article in 1959. Fast forward to 2006: the house is purchased by the current owners, Robert and Cara Barnes. They tenderly renovated this Mid-Century gem- even consulting with the original architect. And once again it's a cover feature, this time in the April 2008 issue of Metropolitan Home . Seminoff's adoration of Frank Lloyd Wright is evident throughout the house. 60 and 30 degree angles make up most of the rooms and accents. The garage is about the only place you'll find a right-angle corner. Materials are

Tulsa's First Modern Home Tour a Success

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 "Living in Hi Fi", focused on some of the best examples Lortondale has to offer. Homes featured on the tour ranged from extensively modified to nearly untouched time capsule. Lucky attendees got to see some of the most creative design Tulsa has to offer. Some of the tour attendees were former owners returning to visit their old neighborhood (below). We thoroughly enjoyed this inaugural tour. This annual event promises to be a "do not miss" for fans of modern architecture and design. Where to next year? For more photos from the tour check Moderntulsa.net .

Lortondale Home Tour

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- from Mid-Century basket case to contemporary showplace. Visitors will be able to view the homes inside and out and meet the owners. A map of the six homes and more information will be printed on the tickets. Cameras are welcome, but please no pets except service animals. The tour is scheduled from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm. An after party will begin at 8:30 pm, and all tour attendees are invited. Tickets are available in advance at Dwelling Spaces , Urban Furnishings , Ida Red Boutique and the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture office at 2210 S Main. Tickets can also be purchased at any

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

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

Home of ORU Architect on the Auction Block

Frank Wallace is best known as the man behind the futuristic look of the Oral Roberts University campus. On October 14, 2010 his unique home overlooking ORU will be sold in a public auction conducted by Mister Ed's Auctions . Jackie and I recently had a chance to visit with Mr. Wallace and learn more about the house, his career and his thoughts on architecture. When we visited we expected to snap a few photos of an empty house and speak with a representative from the auction company. To our surprise the door opened, and we were greeted by Mr. Wallace himself! After assuring him we were not architects, he let us look around. Unfortunately we were not prepared to interview the man whose buildings incite such extremely diverse reactions- but that didn't stop me from asking him several questions anyway.  The home, completed in 1980, was designed and built by Wallace who is now 87. The expansive home is so large that Wallace spends most of his time in a room that was his la