Doesn't University Tower hold some significance like being the first "skyscraper" to be designed completely on a computer????
BTW, it is looking old and needs face lift badly!
quote:
Originally posted by Joey
Doesn't University Tower hold some significance like being the first "skyscraper" to be designed completely on a computer????
Never head that one before, but it is quite possible. It was built in the early/mid-1960s. I thought it was cool then, and I still think it is a cool, neat-o, groovy building today. I looked into moving there back around 1977, but it was a little out of my price range at the time. I moved to the 19th floor of Liberty Towers instead, with a view of University Club from my balcony.
Along these same lines, isn't there another city in the U.S., possibly in Texas, that has or had a "twin" of the University Club apartments, a duplicate apartment building built to the exact same plans? I have heard that in the past.
Is University Tower that round, Jetsons-looking building?
That's the one!
There is a similar round tower in NW Oklahoma City, the name is escaping me at the moment, but it's out by Integris Baptist Hospital.
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Joey
Doesn't University Tower hold some significance like being the first "skyscraper" to be designed completely on a computer????
Never head that one before, but it is quite possible. It was built in the early/mid-1960s. I thought it was cool then, and I still think it is a cool, neat-o, groovy building today. I looked into moving there back around 1977, but it was a little out of my price range at the time. I moved to the 19th floor of Liberty Towers instead, with a view of University Club from my balcony.
Along these same lines, isn't there another city in the U.S., possibly in Texas, that has or had a "twin" of the University Club apartments, a duplicate apartment building built to the exact same plans? I have heard that in the past.
I find that very interesting, because today (it seems) the University Club is pretty middle class, whereas Liberty Towers is more upscale.
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Joey
Doesn't University Tower hold some significance like being the first "skyscraper" to be designed completely on a computer????
Never head that one before, but it is quite possible. It was built in the early/mid-1960s. I thought it was cool then, and I still think it is a cool, neat-o, groovy building today. I looked into moving there back around 1977, but it was a little out of my price range at the time. I moved to the 19th floor of Liberty Towers instead, with a view of University Club from my balcony.
Along these same lines, isn't there another city in the U.S., possibly in Texas, that has or had a "twin" of the University Club apartments, a duplicate apartment building built to the exact same plans? I have heard that in the past.
I find that very interesting, because today (it seems) the University Club is pretty middle class, whereas Liberty Towers is more upscale.
Today, and to the best of my knowledge, University Club is still rental apartments, while Liberty Tower "went condo" back in the late 1980s. At the time I lived at Liberty Tower (unit 19B) around 1977-1979, it was all still rental apartments, and not one bit classier than University Club. In fact at that time, University Club apartments rented for more than Liberty, which is why I "settled" for Liberty. I really wanted to live in the modern University Club, but the price difference was significant enough that I settled for Liberty Tower.
Today, the lobby and 7th floor club rooms of Liberty Tower have been completely redone and remodeled to higher standards, and they may try to project a more upscale ambience, but I still think that University Club is a much more way-cool building, just from an architectural standpoint. Liberty Tower is just another generic, high-rise condominium IMO, while University Club is a unique mid-twentieth century apartment house and an asset to the Tulsa skyline. All my own opinion, of course.
It reminds me of the Capital Records Building. (http://www.seeing-stars.com/Images/Slides/CapitolRecords1.JPG)
It definitely needs a facelift though. That olive green / dirty yellow color of the pannels is just gross looking. If they replaced those with something shiny and metallic, I think the building would rock.
quote:
Originally posted by jackbristow
It definitely needs a facelift though. That olive green / dirty yellow color of the pannels is just gross looking. If they replaced those with something shiny and metallic, I think the building would rock.
Maintenance is one thing, remodeling is another. I haven't seen University Club recently, so perhaps it does need an intensive outside cleaning. The tennants should raise their voices in this matter. I remember the outside panels as being yellow and turquoise blue; perhaps pollution and dirt has turned the turquoise to a green shade.
I do think they should keep the exterior of the building as close to the original as possible. I think it is a real gem as is, dirty or not, and they should preserve the original 1960s facade as much as possible. But that doesn't excuse any lack of exterior cleaning and maintenance, of course.
That building looks like it should be situated at 81st and Lewis - would fit in perfectly with the ORU stuff. I wonder which was built first? The ORU buildings or the Jetsons building.
Anybody know?
It would be interesting because the Oral Roberts building was a block or two away (in the 60's - building still there, but unoccupied) from where the University Towers is - did the building of this tower influence decisions on architecture (sp) at ORU - or vice-versa - or same architect?
For years my children and I have joked about how the University Club tower is actually a giant rocket ship that was designed to blast off and save its inhabitants in case of nuclear holocaust. We love that building.
quote:
Originally posted by restored2x
That building looks like it should be situated at 81st and Lewis - would fit in perfectly with the ORU stuff. I wonder which was built first? The ORU buildings or the Jetsons building.
Anybody know?
It would be interesting because the Oral Roberts building was a block or two away (in the 60's - building still there, but unoccupied) from where the University Towers is - did the building of this tower influence decisions on architecture (sp) at ORU - or vice-versa - or same architect?
Seems like I read or heard somewhere that ORU's original plan was to build its campus where Mansion House and University Club Tower are now, close to the Abundant Life Building. Then someone donated land down south.
My first job was with a company that had its offices on the 30th floor. What a great vantage point. Spoiled me for life.
University Club Tower is a real gem on the Tulsa skyline. It's almost like a "signature" skyscraper that uniquely identifies Tulsa. A good exterior maintenance/cleaning/upgrade without changing the original look would be great and I would think that it has to be in the works at some point in the future.
I've also heard that it was the first skyscraper totally designed on a computer.
I found the answer to my own question here: http://www.escsi.org/pdfdoc1/Structural%20Info%20Sheet%20%204750.1.pdf (//%22http://www.escsi.org/pdfdoc1/Structural%20Info%20Sheet%20%204750.1.pdf%22)
"The 31-floor circular University Club Tower, designed in 1964, was the first major building in the United States designed by a computer. Spearheaded by Fred N. Gauger, a Tulsa, Okla., consulting engineer and former engineering instructor at Oklahoma State University, this unusual multipurpose building used more than 14,000 yd3 (10,700 m3) of lightweight
concrete."
quote:
Originally posted by MichaelBates
quote:
Originally posted by restored2x
That building looks like it should be situated at 81st and Lewis - would fit in perfectly with the ORU stuff. I wonder which was built first? The ORU buildings or the Jetsons building.
Anybody know?
It would be interesting because the Oral Roberts building was a block or two away (in the 60's - building still there, but unoccupied) from where the University Towers is - did the building of this tower influence decisions on architecture (sp) at ORU - or vice-versa - or same architect?
Seems like I read or heard somewhere that ORU's original plan was to build its campus where Mansion House and University Club Tower are now, close to the Abundant Life Building. Then someone donated land down south.
My first job was with a company that had its offices on the 30th floor. What a great vantage point. Spoiled me for life.
From what I understand he wasn't able to build near his Fortress of Solitude building after the Girlscouts kept him from dozing over the Council Oak tree.
Pic of Tower Top (//%22http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=254187%22)
Nice view (//%22http://www.pbase.com/latinbob/image/31236477%22)
Sunset view (//%22http://www.pbase.com/latinbob/image/31236479%22)
There are some linked pictures of the building. The color is hideous. Give the building a new face. Make it shiny!!! The color is ugly.
quote:
Originally posted by restored2x
That building looks like it should be situated at 81st and Lewis - would fit in perfectly with the ORU stuff. I wonder which was built first? The ORU buildings or the Jetsons building.
Anybody know?
It would be interesting because the Oral Roberts building was a block or two away (in the 60's - building still there, but unoccupied) from where the University Towers is - did the building of this tower influence decisions on architecture (sp) at ORU - or vice-versa - or same architect?
I think ORU was built first because it opened in 1963. According to this thread, the tower was designed in 1964.
Thanks!
I wish they would replace the ugly yellow panels. They are showing their age to be sure. New panels and the tower would look fantastic still!
The apartments are on floors 9-30. Structurally, the slabs of the floors above the parking ramp are icosikaitetragonal or 24-sided in plan, not circular. Floors 31 and 32 are offices -- formally the University Club itself.
Floors 9-28 were designed to a standard layout with basically 4 types of apartments:
2 studios (02 and 03 units) at 1.5 sides of the building each = 3 of 24 sides
2 larger one bedroom (04 and 05 units) at 2 sides each = 4 of 24 sides
4 smaller one bedroom (06, 07, 08, and 09 units) at 2 sides each = 8 of 24 sides
3 two bedroom (10, 00, and 01 units) at 3 sides each = 9 of 24 sides
Floors 29 and 30 are all two bedroom units, I think. The arrangement of balconies is different on those two floors, which is obvious on the exterior from certain angles.
On the typical apartment floor (8-28), the centers of 04 units face north toward the downtown. The 04 units have a full side of the building and two half sides. The half sides of the 04 units face 15 degrees east and west of north.
The center of the 05 units faces 30 degrees west of north.
The center of the 06 units faces 30 degrees north of west.
The center of the 07 units faces due west.
The center of the 08 units faces 30 degrees south of west.
The center of the 09 units faces 30 degrees west of south.
The studio units have one full side and one half side of the building. Working clockwise, the 03 units have a half side (balcony location) facing 15 degrees east of north. The full side of the 03 units faces 30 degrees east of north.
The full side of the 02 units faces 45 degrees north of due east, and the half side of the 02 units faces 30 degrees north of east.
The two bedroom units have two full sides and two half sides of the building. They have two balconies, which are at the half sides on each side of the units. Again, working clockwise, the 01 units have a half side (balcony) facing 30 degrees north of east, then a full side facing 15 degrees north of east, then another full side facing due east, then another half side (a second balcony) facing 15 degrees south of east.
The 00 units have a half side facing 15 degrees south of east, a full side facing 30 degrees south of east, a second full side facing 45 degrees south of east, and another half side facing 60 degrees south of east.
The 10 units have a half side facing 30 degrees east of south, a full side facing 15 degrees east of south, a second full side facing due south, and a second half side facing 15 degrees west of south. The second half side of the 10 units is the balcony pairing up with the balcony of the 09 units.
The walls between units are perpendicular to one of the 24 exterior sides of the building except for the wall separating the 02 and 03 studios. That wall extends to one of the 24 corners of the building.
Looking at the plan of a typical mix of units (floors 9-28), the balconies on the one bedroom and studio units alternate from left to right side. Balconies of odd numbered units are on the left. Balconies of even numbered units are on the right.
According to the Tulsa Sunday World issue of November 19, 1967, the University Club Tower was a regal crown of majestic living for the city, rising 370 feet above the terrain.
Initially, the tower had a few retail outlets, including Rowan and Petty Fine Foods, Scott Robinson's Prescription Shop, Yale Cleaners, and a beauty salon.
What happened to the "Liberty Towers"? Was it's name changed?
quote:
Originally posted by shadows
What happened to the "Liberty Towers"? Was it's name changed?
Liberty Towers is still there, at 1502 S. Boulder.
We talked about it earlier in the thread. It is 24 stories I believe.
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
That was definately a lot of interesting information. Thanks for posting that! [^]
I love that building! If they allowed pets, it would have been my first residence in Tulsa.
quote:
Originally posted by YoungTulsan
quote:
Originally posted by shadows
What happened to the "Liberty Towers"? Was it's name changed?
Liberty Towers is still there, at 1502 S. Boulder.
We talked about it earlier in the thread. It is 24 stories I believe.
Thanks for the information.
Shadows goofed again. I was looking through old stock certificates and came up with a handful of the green liberty issue. The broker assured me that since the Pearl and May rooms were going to have to close the tower was to accommodate the elite for their kept girls. It was a win win issue.
Seem after it was built the stock was transferred in the running florist which seemed to run away with the value of the stock. The value disappeared like a snowflake on a 100 degree day.
If I could find his headstone I could go kick it.