Modern Tulsa

I was recently contacted by Kim Brown of the Tulsa World to visit about Modern Tulsa. I am quite flattered that she would seek me out. The article is below discussing Modern Tulsa as an entity with a focus on modern homes in Tulsa, in particular Lortondale. The picture I dig.

The Mod squad
Group adores retro look of Lortondale

By KIM BROWN World Scene Writer

Dustin Thames (left) and Cole Cunningham in Thames Lortondale home. "This neighborhood is like living in a painting," he said. "It's a way to apply design to your living style." Said Cunningham: "Neighborhoods like this in L.A. are coveted." Stephen Pingry / Tulsa World

Flat roofs, sleek lines, wood paneling. What some might consider outdated is in high demand for Modern Tulsa.

When Tulsan Cole Cunningham decided to move back from Phoenix a little more than a year ago, he created a Web site to locate like minds who appreciate mid-century modern architecture and other modern styles. And what he found was an enthusiastic and excitedly eclectic following.

Members of Modern Tulsa are architects, designers, Realtors and home owners who like the design and aesthetic of the 1950s and 1960s homes built in many Tulsa neighborhoods, such as the Lortondale neighborhood near 26th Street and Yale Avenue.

“There are a lot of nice little neighborhoods in Tulsa, and Lortondale is probably Tulsa’s biggest and most noteworthy,” said Cunningham, who works at Winston Media. “There’s a great collection of homes and most are still intact. Neighborhoods like this in L.A. are coveted.”

Lortondale was created in the 1950s by builder Howard Grubb and architect Donald H. Honn to provide modern, affordable homes for families during the Baby Boom. Some of Modern Tulsa’s members live in Lortondale, such as Dustin Thames, a Realtor. He purchased his home because he’s been “into mid-century stuff as long as I can remember.”

“This neighborhood is like living in a painting. It’s a way to apply design to your living style.”

Thames has taken mid-century modern to heart.

From the vintage furniture he purchased at estate sales to the authentic wood paneling and cabinets in the house to his dishes designed by Russel Wright, Thames’ home is a throwback.

“It hasn’t been what I like to call, ‘Home Depot-fied,’ ” he said. “This is good for a guy like me because it’s my first home, but it’s a value.”

He’s had to put some work into it, like pulling out the carpets and installing stainless-steel countertops in the kitchen. But keeping it authentic hasn’t been outrageously expensive.

“Is it feasible? Absolutely,” Thames said. “The hardest part is doing it. But there are forums and magazines have pages dedicated to restoring these places.”

But Modern Tulsa isn’t limited to just mid-century. Cunningham said the group is also interested in urban modern and more current styles. He met Thames through the group, which has had a few events since forming. Networking and education are also goals.

“I don’t claim to know it all,” Cunningham said. “On the weekends I get out and explore and take photos. That’s how I find a lot of people.”

Wow, it looks that George Kravis has donated a fantastic collection here. Thanks George! Can’t wait to see all this great stuff. Hopefully we can get a sneak peak or something.

Story below from Artdaily.org

TULSA, OK.- The Philbrook Museum of Art is pleased to announce a gift of nearly 100 works of twentieth- and twenty-first-century design from the George R. kravis II Collection. The promised gift will immediately provide Philbrook with a core collection of exceptional design material and establish a vital new collecting area for the Museum.

From American Art Deco and Streamline to mid-century modern and contemporary, the collection includes objects reflecting the evolution and breadth of modern industrial design. Randall Suffolk, Philbrook’s director said: “This important gift will add a completely new dimension to the visitor’s experience and provide an exceptional new platform for exhibitions, programming, and research. We’re thrilled that this collection will ultimately reside at Philbrook and remain in Tulsa for generations to come.”

To that end, Philbrook is planning a special gallery to open in 2009 which will incorporate works from this collection and be displayed within the permanent collection galleries. The installation will be on view for two years.

Mr. kravis stated: “This collection has been a personal joy for me to acquire and build, as well as a privilege to live with. I’m delighted that through this gift it will be shared for the benefit, enjoyment, and education of all those that visit the Museum.” He added, “Philbrook has been an important part of my life and I’m pleased that this collection will find a permanent home there.”

The gift includes objects designed by many iconic figures in the history of international industrial design from 1900 to the present. From the 1930s and ‘40s the collection includes work by such designers as Norman Bel Geddes, Henry Dreyfuss, Paul Frankl, Peter Müller-Munk, Gilbert Rhode, Walter Dorwin Teague, John Vassos and Walter Van Nessan. Among the collection’s highlights from these American modernists is a short wave radio transmitter called Radio Nurse designed in 1937 by the American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi designed the receiver shaped like a head in a nurse’s cap. Its status as a superb sculpture is indicated by the fact that it was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1939.

There are mid-century works by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Herbert Krenchel, and Russel Wright, as well as contemporary pieces by Shiro Kuramata, Marc Newson, Eliot Noyes, Philippe Starck, and Ettore Sottsass. Among the outstanding examples of contemporary design is a group of acrylic pieces designed by the Japanese architect Kuramata. Combining a sensuous beauty with technical virtuosity, these pieces covey a peaceful simplicity characteristic of some of the best late 20th Century design.

In light of the kravis gift, Philbrook has used acquisition funds to purchase Walter Dorwin Teague’s Sparton Nocturne (1934) radio. Introduced as “revolutionary” in its design, the Nocturne was also described as “a daring and brilliant ensemble in glass and metal.” The radio is exceedingly large (45×43x15’’) and was designed primarily for commercial use in hotel lobbies or other large scale public spaces. The Nocturne promises to be a signature piece among Philbrook’s emerging design collection.

Mr. kravis and his family have a long history of generosity with Philbrook. In addition to ongoing program support in numerous areas from the Raymond and Bessie kravis Foundation, Mr. kravis has donated more than twenty works – primarily contemporary art – to the Museum.

This is the second major acquisition announcement in as many years for Philbrook. Last year the Museum announced that it had received the Adkins Collection of Native American and Southwestern Art – some 1700 objects. Plans are currently being developed for the Eugene B. Adkins Collection & Study Center, a 15,000 sq. ft. satellite facility in downtown Tulsa.

Philbrook is the premier cultural institution in the city of Tulsa and a state-wide leader in the cultural life of Oklahoma. Set within a twenty-three acre site three miles from downtown Tulsa, Philbrook is a unique combination of historic house, major gardens, and permanent collections.

This is an article regarding the ONEOK Field I saw in Urban Tulsa, written by Michael Bates. Marti Newman makes some excellent points. How do you feel about it?

When History Needs to Repeat Itself
Downtown ballpark could fill an historic gap. To prevent a contrived, “iconic” modern design, how about a humanistic approach to urban architecture

Is it dishonest to build a new building that looks old? Is it cowardly?

The questions were raised and answered in the affirmative in a note I received from Tulsa preservationist Marty Newman in response to my recent column about the proposed design for the new downtown baseball stadium.

In that column, I wrote that the modern design approach proposed for the ballpark — glass and metal and not discernibly a ballpark — reflected “a lack of self-confidence. A confident city could have a baseball stadium that looks like a stadium. An embarrassed and self-conscious city has to have an iconic thingamajig.”

Instead, I urged the architects to look back to classic building styles for inspiration to “create a ballpark that looks like it has been around for 100 years and will be around for at least a 100 more.” I suggested resurrecting the style of one of downtown’s lost treasures — the Coliseum, the Dreamland Theater, or the Cimarron Ballroom, to name three.

Newman emphatically takes exception with this approach:

“I believe that new buildings should look new. Their scale, materials, design, etc., should respect the environment in which they are inserted but they should benefit from a contemporary design palette.

“An urban environment is an opportunity to visibly enjoy the physical embodiment of chronology. Re-creating historic styles interrupts this visual display of time and is, inherently, dishonest.”

He singles out the downtown Tulsa Transit station, built in 1998 in a streamline Art Deco fashion, as “a wasted design opportunity and the physical embodiment of a city so lacking in the confidence of its own ability that it was only comfortable repeating the success of the past. If Tulsans of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s had exhibited the same cowardice we would have no art deco here!”

Later in his note, Newman writes, “I want our new buildings to insert themselves lovingly into the preexisting urban fabric but I very much do not want a brand new building to look like it has been in place for 100 years. We are not the Disney Company and Downtown Tulsa is not a theme park.”

Newman’s credentials to opine about preservation are beyond question. He is a board member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and played a major role in bringing that organization’s annual conference to Tulsa this year. He rescued the Fire Alarm Building, one of our city’s finest examples of New Deal-era Art Deco.

(more…)

What started out as a novel idea has become a widespread epidemic. The north Cherry Street area has become quite the rage for the walkable, modern lifestyle. Beginning about three years ago with a single company, today the competition is steep and selection abundant for urban lofts and condos.

I hopped on my bike the other evening to get some exercise and thought I’d check in on the progress of this scene. Living across Cherry street myself (in a historic home) I am through this area often and keep in touch with the movement. It is, however, always a surprise to find numerous historical homes have fallen since my last visit to accommodate the town homes and condos moving in.

As with most urban development there is dispute as to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. In fact it’s become a little heated in the comments section to this article on tulsa lofts.

I for one think there are some great benefits seen by the new development. Though I’m a big fan of historic preservation I am equally a fan of walkable urbanism. There is unfortunately almost always bad with good and in this case the same applies. We do have to sacrifice a few blocks worth of older homes, but in exchange we gain the opportunity to allow Cherry Street to flourish. The increase in population to the area this development creates is extremely healthy for businesses in the Cherry Street area and will likely spur additional development making this area more desirable and valuable. While this may upset a few historic preservationists it is in my opinion healthy for the district and ultimately healthy for the City of Tulsa.

Do you agree? Have anything to add? This is meant to be a discussion. Please share your thoughts below.

I know, I know. It’s disappointing to come visit us and find that there is nothing new to see. Then you come back next time and there are events you’ve missed out on. I realize don’t update this site very consistently. I wish I had more time to devote, but I am working full time these days and do this in my free time here.

In any case, I have the solution for this problem. Modern Tulsa is introducing two options to keep you plugged in to modern events in Tulsa. Add ModernTulsa to your home page via RSS feed or sign up for our email updates, which will send you an email each time a new post hits the site. Your email will never be sold or abused and you can unsubscribe anytime.

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cole