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Showing posts from December, 2010

George Nelson Exhibit at the OKCMOA

George Nelson: Architect, Writer, Designer, Teacher February 3 through May 8, 2011 Oklahoma City Museum of Art George Nelson is probably best known for his modern lighting and  furniture designs. His bubble lamps are an icon of Mid-Century Modern design, and today are considered a requirement on the set of any trendy video shoot. But Nelson's influence reached well beyond home furnishings. His talent as a writer, educator and architect was well known before he became an accomplished industrial designer. In fact, when he became the Director of Design for the Herman Miller Company in 1945 he had not designed a single piece of furniture. But fortunately for us, that was not the case for long! The exhibition features works by Nelson organized into three categories- home, office and literature.

Myriad Gardens: Like, Totally Tubular

Every time we pass by the Myriad Botanical Gardens it reminds me of the science fiction classic, Rendezvous with Rama . And the unusual cylinder perched in the midst of downtown Oklahoma City is almost as mysterious as its fictional cousin. Rendezvous with Rama was written by Arthur C. Clarke in 1972. The plot is based on an "asteroid" hurtling through deep space towards Earth. As it gets closer scientists discover the object is actually a 50-kilometer long metal cylinder- not an asteroid at all. Astronauts are dispatched to examine the mysterious object- codenamed Rama- and discover an artificial atmosphere inside, complete with clouds, islands and rain. Just like the mystical spaceship in the book, the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory at Myriad Gardens is a cylinder. It even contains a somewhat artificial atmosphere- in this case it's a tropical garden in the middle of Oklahoma, instead of the vacuum of space. However, unlike Rama, it is not hurtling through s

Ranch Acres Mod of the Moment

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Just what we wanted... It's Modern Tulsa's second holiday season Mod of the Moment! This time it's a snappy 1954 ranch near 36th and Delaware complete with four bedroom, 3 and half baths and the requisite walkaround fireplace. Nicely updated and fully kitted out with mod furnishings. It's so cool it even has its own website! www.35thplace.com Mod of the Moment Sunday, December 5, 2011 3:00 to 5:00 PM 2882 E 35th Place

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