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Showing posts from January, 2010

TFA Open House

Here's your chance to see some of Tulsa's unique architectural history. This fifth annual event is open to the public and there is no charge. White gloves provided, formal dress optional. White Glove Open House Tulsa Foundation for Architecture Archives 321 S. Boston Kennedy Building, lower level Tuesday, January 19 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture maintains a huge collection of original drawings of some of our most historic buildings. With over 35,000 articles in the collection, the TFA archive is an impressive resource maintaining a link to many aspects of our city's past. And all too often, this may be all that remains of an important piece of Tulsa's skyline.

First Tulsa Mod of the Moment Event

Modern Tulsa has announced an open house event this Sunday, January 17, 2009. This Mod of the Moment event is the first of what we hope will be many! I think this is a really great idea. During the 2008 National Preservation Conference we were fortunate enough to catch a presentation about Houston Mod presented by Anna Mod (and yes, that is her real name). This non-profit group has accomplished some pretty impressive feats. One that really resonated with me was their "Mod of the Month" program. The idea is not just to connect buyers and sellers- it's also about educating real estate professionals to recognize there is a market for these "unusual" houses. Homes are often needlessly "improved" to increase their mass-market appeal. This type of relationship with local realtors is a win-win for our community. It's been a huge success for Houston, hopefully we can capture a little of that magic! To learn more about Houston Mod visit www.houston

Used Modern

Certified Good Stuff Did you know you can sell your used designer or mid-century modern furniture on Lushpad? It's true. Classifieds are reasonably priced and wanted ads are free! Sign up for a free account and start listing your surplus modernica today! Shop Local Here's a handy link to all ads on Lushpad located in Oklahoma. This includes all listings, even wanted ads. But you can tweak it to your satisfaction! Oklahoma Listings on Lushpad Enjoy.

Tulsa Survey Finds Plenty of History

Last December the results of the "Downtown Tulsa Intensive-Level Historic Resources Survey" were published. In plain English that means an inventory of Tulsa's downtown architecture. The last such evaluation dates back to 1978, but this recent survey is much more exhaustive. Every building within the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) was reviewed. Structures were evaluated for their architectural and historic value- as well as structural integrity. Why go to all this trouble? According to the Tulsa Preservation Commission ... The purpose of the survey project was to document all properties inside the IDL in order to identify which portions of downtown are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, which would in turn make the properties eligible for Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit incentives. The final document identifies 88 structures that merit acknowledgment for their historic status. It also lists fourteen districts that deserve recognition for

Eames at Philbrook

Mark your calendar for January 21st and plan to be at Philbrook for a special evening with Eames Demetrios, grandson of Charles and Ray Eames. It's part of their Third Thursday event. Read more on the What's Up at Philbrook blog. They have also posted an interesting video that shows the making of an Eames aluminum task chair.

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