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Showing posts from October, 2010

Modern Surprise in Cushing

Last summer we passed through Cushing, Oklahoma during a road trip searching for Lustron Homes in Oklahoma. We found the two Lustrons located in Cushing, then proceeded to cruise this once-bustling oil town. You should be glad we did! We turned off Highway 33 on Highland Avenue and proceeded south. At about 9th Place we found ourselves in the midst of a Mid-Century Mod haven. Low-slung ranchers were spread out alongside a small creek. The creek also provided space for a neighborhood park. It was a beautiful area and the homes are well kept. Turns out, many of these homes were designed by the late Blaine Imel. Born in Blackwell, Oklahoma, Imel grew up in Cushing and served with the Marines as a fighter pilot during World War Two. During the war he shot down 3 enemy planes, jumped off his aircraft carrier after it was kamikazied and earned numerous medals. After the war he studied architecture at OU under Bruce Goff, and that influence shows in the circular themes and organic shap

Unleash Your Chic Challenge

Need to reclaim your living room? Ready for a modern home makeover? Would $25,000 help? All Modern presents their Unleash Your Chic Side challenge! The $25,000 grand prize consists of a modern living room makeover by John Gidding, plus furniture and accents from Gus Modern, Herman Miller, Missoni Home, Blomus, ET2 Lighting, and Inhabit. Enter now and you're an instant winner with 10% off your next order! Tell them why you want to infuse more modern style in your living room, and how a $25,000 makeover from AllModern.com and John Gidding will help you unleash your chic side.  Grand Prize: $25,000 modern living room makeover designed by John Gidding, including new seating, lighting, accessories and more! Second Prize: $2,000 worth of modern accents and accessories. Third Prize: $1,000 assortment of modern accents.  Enter to Win! Browse the full collection of modern furnishings and famous name designs...

Ten/Ten/Ten

October 10, 2010— Exploring the power of perspective. Shane Hood of Modern Tulsa coordinated the presentations. Charles and Ray Eames sought to vindicate the lowly zero in their 1977 short film, Powers of Ten. Each year on October 10th aficionados celebrate everything Eames with ceremonial viewings of the film. This year was extra special as numerology added another ten. Philbrook Museum of Art hosted a Powers of Ten Celebration today. Co-sponsored by the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture and Modern Tulsa , it featured 5 short films by Eames and 5 brief presentations. Like a total of ten. Get it? I was happy to be one of those presenters, and related the story of Jackie and her red LCW chair . Some revelers even recreated the picnic scene featured in the film. But the really big news was delivered by Philbrook director, Rand Suffolk, when he announced a five year deal with Vitra. Beginning in 2012 Tulsa will see some exciting modern exhibitions produced in collaboration with

Bruce Goff Exhibit Opens in Norman

Bruce Goff: A Creative Mind October 9, 2010 thru January 2, 2011 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Norman, OK www.ou.edu/fjjma A collection of works by celebrated architect Bruce Goff will be on display in Norman beginning this weekend. Featuring projects never realized, the exhibit offers several original drawings along with 3-D renderings and computer animations based on Goff's plans. The exhibition will include a symposium and reception. Special events that coincide with this display are also being planned by Friends of Kebyar , an organization devoted to "non mainstream" architecture. After the run in Norman the exhibit will be on display in Bartlesville at the Price Tower Arts Center beginning January 21, 2011. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville and the OU Colleges of Architecture and Engineering. Extra spice was added through animations and 3-D renderings created by Skyli

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