Yesterday, I planned to attend the TMAPC meeting. Checked the agenda, and it said the meeting was at the Francis Campbell City Council Room. I went to old City Hall and found this:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2947483648_3f31f5ca2a.jpg?v=0)
So I went to new City Hall. The security guards didn't know what I was talking about, but they sent me up to the 4th Floor. There, I could see the meeting on TGov and recognized that it was, indeed, at the old City Hall.
So I went back to the old City Hall and tried another entrance. It, too, said: "City Hall closed: All City of Tulsa offices and services have moved..."
I had to bang on a door until a security guard finally let me in. I was told there was one entrance that was open to the meeting. (I never found it.)
There were only a handful of people in the audience. I think this might be why!
Tulsa Now sent out emails encouraging people to support the move to Kathy's Krystal Kastle. You all wanted this. Be careful what you wish for.
I was looking at the old city hall as I left the Courthouse today, it occurred to me that if it was a private building the city would probably enforce their abandoned and blighted policy and demand it get fixed up.
quote:
Originally posted by cannon_fodder
I was looking at the old city hall as I left the Courthouse today, it occurred to me that if it was a private building the city would probably enforce their abandoned and blighted policy and demand it get fixed up.
Or torn down.
Got to set it on fire first [:D]
I think they should sell raffle tickets for the right to push the implosion button that brings down the building.
What would you pay to blow up city hall?
Raffle, heck, small stuff. I took a vote here and have been fining them $1,000/day for over two weeks now. I sent a letter to the owner's record address, but no response yet. If it doesn't get paid in 30 days, I'll go to court and get a lien, then aucton it to pay the bill.
Why stop with City Hall. After you've destroyed that piece of history you might as well march over to the Philtower and demolish it so that we can put up something shiny, new and of lesser quality.
The day will come when we realize what we have let slip through our fingers. Our old City Hall is a fine example of Mid-Century Modernism.
Check out this information from the web.
"Who Is The Mid-Century Modernist?
If good design is a balance of aesthetics and utility, the craft peaked in the years between 1940–1970. This era of modernism hit the design sweet spot: functional beauty. Finding harmony between the natural and the manmade, designers like Bertoia, Braakman, Deam, Eames, Ekselius, Heywood-Wakefield, Jacobsen, Juhl, Kagen, Kjaerholm, Knoll, Loewy, McCobb, Noguchi, Nelson, Paulin, Prouvé, Pucci, Risom, Saarinen, Schultz, Van der Rohe, Vignelli, Vodder, Wegner, and Wormley created objects that were not merely easy on the eyes, but appealing because they served their purpose with organic grace.
The Mid-Century Modernist is dedicated to this movement, as both a historical milestone and a living, breathing ideal, reflected in much of today's design. Here you'll find tips and ideas for the home and office, links to furniture for sale (both old and new), information on designers and suppliers, and hot spots around the world where mid-century modern design is celebrated.
http://www.midcenturymodernist.com/about_this_site/index.html
Preservation of Mid Century Modernism
Although relatively young, works of Modern architecture may be lost because of demolition, neglect, or alterations. While an awareness of the plight of endangered Modern buildings is growing, the threats continue. Non-profit groups such as the World Monuments Fund, Docomomo International and the Recent Past Preservation Network are working to safeguard and document imperiled Modern architecture. In 2006, the World Monuments Fund launched Modernism at Risk, an advocacy and conservation program. Since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans modernist structures have been increasingly slated for demolition. Currently plans are underway to demolish many of the city's modernist public schools, as well as large portions of the city's Civic Plaza. FEMA funds will contribute to razing the State Office Building and State Supreme Court Building, both designed by the collaborating architectural firms of August Perez and Associates; Goldstein, Parham and Labouisse; and Favrot, Reed, Mathes and Bergman. The New Orleans Recovery School District has proposed demolitions of schools designed by Charles R. Colbert, Curtis and Davis, and Ricciuti Associates. The 1959 Lawrence and Saunders building for the New Orleans International Longshoremen's Association Local 1419 is currently threatened with demolition although the union supports its conservation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_architecture
Our imminent remodeling of the Maxwell Convention Center will also all but ruin it's historic value.
I don't enjoy having to play Casandra and deliver this message to a city with little appreciation for historic structures. I hold the TulsaWorld accountable for creating a "tear it all down and building something new" mindset.
We sure could use a competing newspaper with alternate point of view.
Just because something is old doesn't make it worth saving.
Chances are very good that something built in Tulsa today will not be of the same quality as Tulsa's older buildings. Think of the old Delman Theatre and the engineer-designed Walgreens that sits in that spot today. That's pretty typical of the redevelop that has happened here. Slowly but surely Tulsa is loosing its charm.
The BOK arena is an exception to that trend. Look what it took to get a quality building put up now.
quote:
Originally posted by Hometown
Our old City Hall is a fine example of Mid-Century Modernism.
There are many fine examples of Mid-Century Modernism in Tulsa. The KJRH studio on Peoria is one of them. Central Library is one of them.
City Hall is not one of them. It is, at best, plain as a mud fence.
I worked as the architecture critic for the largest daily newspaper in Texas and I disagree with you.
It is not a great example but it is a good example of Mid-Century Modernism and given its central role in our Mid-Century Modern Civic Center we would be wise to restore it and keep it.
I don't think you are going to find too many people that do argee with you Hometown. I don't see anything special or unique about it... the area could be put to better use.
Like I said -- "Casandra."
There is next to no support for historic buildings in Tulsa's mindset.
THANK YOU TULSA WORLD.
I think it's very ugly.
Inside and out. But, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, and I haven't made it out to Octoberfest yet!
Captain Segway to the rescue.
(http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/32500/Captain-America-Segway--32575.jpg)
I think there are plenty of Tulsans, who are against destroying historic buildings, but some things aren't worth saving and like Bates said, there are alluring modern structures in Tulsa.
I've never quite understood the value of the enormous "plaza" that separates the "old" city hall from everything around it. Why was it designed to be an island?
Personally, I love "old-old" City Hall (4th and Cinn), and I've come to appreciate "new" City Hall...but I just don't care for "old" City Hall. Dreary, both inside and out.
I was told by a friend who works inside the new city hall that they are uglifying the interior. Apparently enormous visible ductwork and closing off attractive interior views.
At one point the building was filled with very nice technology that is now gone including triple monitor set ups and an enormous "one of a kind" Sony flat screen built specifically for the building.
I thought it was brought online to be able to impress potential Tulsa investors. That seems like the wrong way to do it.
I didn't often go in the OTC building before it became City Hall, but it's still impressive to visitors who take the elevators up.
They are doing a lot of remodeling on the ground floor to allow for the separate access/entrance to the future City Council Meeting room and other public stuff. Not sure what it's going to look like when it's done. Still a construction site at this point.
Old City Hall is ugly? Well that's the way it works. After the style passes into the history books there is a period where the it is unappreciated. Then time passes and you see the style with new eyes. We are about 10 years away from people saying "Oh my god how could those fools have torn that down."
I drive down south of 71st St. and honestly if I see one more bloated roof top with fake historical ornaments cluttering the facade of pre-cast concrete slab walls I'm going to hurl.
I mean bad Post-Modernism is going to add new meaning to the word "bad."
What is going to happen is we are going to long for the clean open planes Modernism. We are going to crave the breathing space that their lack of ornamentation provides.
But don't mind me, just doing the Cassandra thing.
The old City Hall is a perfectly fine example of architecture from its era. I cant make any comment as to the quality of its construction, but as for its appearance, its a fine and solid example of its time. I for one like the way it looks and greatly appreciate it and would hate to see it go. Perhaps we are just not far enough away from the time period to appreciate it yet. But goodness, looking at things like the Brady Theater, not exactly an exemplar of its time, and a lot of other buildings we would wish to save. As both an artist I am used to seeing things differently. I have to, its my job. Its my job to imagine futures that dont exist, imagine how things will appear to be, how they did look, how different people will see things, etc. As someone who enjoys history and architecture, who studies it and has seen the patterns that exist and again, how people see things. I can very, very, well imagine how this building can be seen as "mud". But when I visualize a future 30-50 years from now and how those people will see this building, how it hearkens back to a "simpler time", a fascinating time in history, the styles that existed then, the clothes people wore, the cars they drove, how they lived and viewed the world,,, a good sized building, that is a perfectly fine example of its time, will be regrettably missed in the core of our city. Not to mention it just seems a waste. Also, there is plenty of property around it to build a hotel, its not as though its blocking anything from happening in that area. Surely that building could be rehabbed and reused as something and the rents used for a time to get it into decent shape.
I am glad city hall moved and love the new building. But dont want to see this one torn down if at all possible. Our skyline seems to take 2 steps back for each one forward lol. And again, you could still put a new hotel right next to it.
If they let me have it, (dont know what else they are going to do with it in the meantime with the economy the way it is) in about 5 years time I could have it in better shape and making 400,000 a year and would be happy to split that with the city. And in 10 years could have it back in perfectly good shape and making a lot more.
pic by majday from flickr
(http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2994/tulsaoldcityhallbymajdayl3.jpg)
Had to drag this thread back from the brink so others could read the Artist's thoughtful post (directly above) about our old City Hall.
What I find most distinctive about the building is the sense of weightlessness the architect achieved. The building almost seems to float above the plaza as it rises up through and above the plaza. It creates a "how did he do that" question in the viewer.
Old City Hall was designed by Tulsa Architect Jack W. McSorley. He was project architect and designer for this 11 story office tower for the City of Tulsa containing 130,000sf. The building is the focal point of the Tulsa Civic Center.
What happens to Civic Center when you remove the focal point from Civic Center?
Also notice how similar it is in design and feel to other buildings pictured behind it. Indeed there is a concentration of Mid-Century architecture in the Civic Center area making it a perfect area for preservation of an architectural style that was ultimately more prized than Art Deco.
Last weekend the TulsaWorld used the occasion of the gathering in Tulsa of the National Historic Trust to celebrate the "gadfly" that raised a ruckus and saved Mapleridge. Maybe one day the Tulsa World will realize that history didn't end with the construction of Maple Ridge.
quote:
Originally posted by Hometown
What happens to Civic Center when you remove the focal point from Civic Center?
You tear it down.
Bet the County could save a lot of money by remodeling the City building rather than adding two floors to the existing one. Simpler, too.
who said anything about the county trying to do the right thing and save money? Hell the golf carts at lafortune park have a better pad than the county workers.