Oklahoma Modern

Modern Mess The current issue of Fast Company magazine (December/January 2010) has an interesting article about one of the best known outlets for modern style: Design Within Reach. A Modern Mess: the Rise and Fall of Design Within Reach by Jeff Chu is an enlightening read, and a little disappointing. Maybe I'm just naive, but it was news to me that DWR was knocking off some of their most popular products. Most of this has happened in recent years, but one example dates back almost the to company's founding. Up until 2005 the iconic Barcelona chair available from Design Within Reach was actually a clone called the Pavilion. "I didn't feel that good about it... It bugged me ... " - Rob Forbes, DWR founder Apparently DWR finally got permission from Knoll to sell the genuine article- but the practice of touting design and then ripping off designers has tarnished their image for many longtime fans. To his credit DWR founder, Rob Forbes, seems regretful of tha...

Nice Examples of Design Spotted Everywhere... even on our plates! A few weeks ago we made the short trek up the turnpike to Oklahoma City and had lunch at a unique restaurant, while enjoying some modern architecture. The two come together at a new retail development called Classen Curve . And our meal was a treat for the eyes and the tummy! The Curve project is near the intersection of Classen Boulevard and I-44, on NW Grand. It's another product of Chesapeake Energy and designed by their favorite firm, Elliott + Associates Architects . If you've ever visited Pops in Arcadia , the Chesapeake Boathouse or the Route 66 Museum in Clinton you've seen their work before. Clean lines and simple geometry typify their work, and Classen Curve is no exception. The only establishment up and running in Classen Curve at the time of our visit was 105 Degrees . This is a raw food restaurant that also features a small market and chef school. A surprising array of entrees and desserts a...

Try as they might, the organizers just couldn't get the management people to let us into the "modern block" buildings. But a much larger than expected group of hardy building buffs showed up for TulsaNow's inaugural Tulsa Treasures Tour this morning. We counted more than 70 at one point, a hefty turnout considering the morning temperatures were in the twenties. The four buildings on the tour included two Art Deco gems and two modern postwar buildings. Sarah Kobos emceed the tour with Rex Ball, who provided outstanding play-by-play highlights of each building on the tour- and a few others. Before we ventured out, Amanda DeCort from the Tulsa Preservation Commission , offered a brief summary of the recently completed Downtown Tulsa Architectural Survey . Unfortunately we didn't get to go inside the two modern buildings, the First National Autobank (now labeled Chase) or the Ponca City Savings & Loan (last occupied by Smith Abstract). But we still enjoyed ...