Not exactly an open meeting at the TMAPC...

[unknown]

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.

[PonderInc]

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.

[Townsend]

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.

[PonderInc]

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.

[Hometown]

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.

[TheArtist]

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

[Hometown]

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.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Hometown


What happens to Civic Center when you remove the focal point from Civic Center?

You tear it down.

[Wrinkle]

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.

[inteller]

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.