Tulsa's IPE Building Deserves Better
Orange You Glad They Painted it Grey? IPE Building during construction. Courtesy Modern Steel Not me. Long before it was known as the Quik Trip Center , the immense building at Expo Square behind the Golden Driller was known as the Tulsa Exposition Center. Built in 1966 to provide an indoor space for the International Petroleum Exposition, the building featured a cable-supported roof covering more than 10 acres. Distinctive orange steel supports rose up from the prairie to hold the cable system. The architect for the project was Bert E. Griffin and David R. Graham and Associates were the structural engineers. The clever cable system floating 3,500 tons of structural steel above the exhibit floor was so unique several patents were filed. The visual impact of the building was modern, but very business-like. The wide stance of the outermost support pillars echoed the "spider legs" of architect Richard Neutra. Giant beams rose up from the roof to grasp cables, almo...

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