Tulsa is the 47th largest city in the United States by population (406,000) and is the largest city of the Tulsa–Muskogee–Bartlesville Combined Statistical Area (1,151,000) in Oklahoma.
Downtown is a fairly small concentrated area of development that quickly becomes sparse on its edges. A large proportion of the notable structures date from the 1920's oil boom, thus the core is known as the Deco District. This thread will concentrate on the historic structures.
A number of churches are on the periphery of the core, especially lining South Boulder Ave.:
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church:
This famous structure was finished in 1929 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown core/Deco District skylines and streetscapes:
The tower of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church is a landmark visible down Boston Avenue from the core.
Individual buildings:
A wide variety of well-preserved structures ranges from low commercial structures to skyscrapers.
This is a real eye opener. Even though Tulsa isn't that far from here, I've only been to the Tulsa airport to visit the American Airlines maintenance facility for work years ago. I had no idea about all these historic and art deco structures. Thanks for the thread!
Tulsa is kind of the city that time forgot. Like a clock stopped in 1975 and didn’t move. Absolutely stunning collection of prewar architecture. A terra cotta clad wonderland. The Utica Square area and the fairgrounds are filled with deco gems.
BTW, the last Building my you photographed is the Mid-Continent Tower, built in 1984. The original 16 story prewar Mid-Continent Building was doubled in size and the tower cantilevers over the old portion. You can see the seam in the lobby.
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Even if you are 1 in a million, there are still 8,000 people just like you...
Rarely heard of. I suspect the name of Oklahoma City is actually better known of the people around here, so I'm surprised by their stock of historic heritage.
This is excellent, though. They apparently take good care of it even though they're a moderately sized town.
I think Art Deco was cooler, or at least more flexible than Neo-Classical things because it allowed some classy buildings inspired by Native art and aesthetics.
Like this, quite possibly.
This looks originally American. Nothing of this style in Europe to my knowledge.
It's fine. Always good to have one's own traits IMHO.
I did a curiosity trip in 2009, OKC, then to Tulsa, Fort Smith, Shreveport, Houston. In 2009 there were still skads of surface parking lots in downtown Tulsa and was wondering if they ever got any of them filled in.
I did a curiosity trip in 2009, OKC, then to Tulsa, Fort Smith, Shreveport, Houston. In 2009 there were still skads of surface parking lots in downtown Tulsa and was wondering if they ever got any of them filled in.
I think most of them are still there, since there was little evidence of newer developments along those streets, except for the BOK Center which I will add some photos of soon.
Here is a small addition to the thread of later modern buildings; it is not an extensive selection and there are not that many that are notable, but here goes:
This building was originally designed to have 34 stories, but they stopped at 17 and capped it in 1986. It’s the last major tower proposed for Tulsa that I’m aware of.
__________________
Even if you are 1 in a million, there are still 8,000 people just like you...
This building was originally designed to have 34 stories, but they stopped at 17 and capped it in 1986. It’s the last major tower proposed for Tulsa that I’m aware of.
I think the full height as designed would have been a good addition to the skyline, but as it stands it is well-proportioned too.
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