New Hilton Garden Inn - Downtown (2nd & Cheyenne)

[patric]

According to the post with the red overlay, this is an art deco building that will be torn down.

Got to go.  You know, the earthquake damage.   

[Weatherdemon]

Got to go.  You know, the earthquake damage.   

LOL, nice 

[TheArtist]

  Have some people trying to contact the owners and talking to the architects to see if we can at least save the facade of the art deco, oil and gas journal building. Anyone else that can try and reach out to the involved parties to try and save something of this building would be a big help.  

From what I hear the interior art deco building is mostly gutted and devoid of any original character.  I still think it's definitely worth saving the facade.

[cannon_fodder]

The interior is entirely gutted and meritless.  The facade is nearly perfect.

[sgrizzle]

 Have some people trying to contact the owners and talking to the architects to see if we can at least save the facade of the art deco, oil and gas journal building. Anyone else that can try and reach out to the involved parties to try and save something of this building would be a big help.  

From what I hear the interior art deco building is mostly gutted and devoid of any original character.  I still think it's definitely worth saving the facade.

Architects emailed. Think I know someone on developer side. Will reach out.

[carltonplace]

I think they could incorporate that facade into the hotel easily. Developers were able to save the art deco facade of the farmer's market at 11th and Elgin.

I hate to lose any more art deco character in this town.

[TheArtist]

  I spoke with my "contact" with the family for a bit, he was very kind and seemed to agree that we should try to save our artistic/cultural/historic heritage whenever possible, and they said they would try to mention to Pete my concerns and thoughts.  He also gave me Pete's e-mail, so I will try and do a little begging and pleading on my end.  

 It's always difficult when your asking someone to "do something with their own money and property", one can't help but feel uncomfortable and hesitant about doing so.  I would hope to present it as something that would ultimately be a positive for the individual, if not just financially, then personally.  He has the opportunity to save something of our history for future generations.  He won't be another one of those people that tore something down and people look back and wonder "Why?"  "How could they do that?".  But instead he can be lauded and set up as a positive example of someone who took some extra steps that he didn't have to, to do something good for everyone.  

Sure it's not a grand building, but it is surely a "contributing" building to our Art Deco Heritage.  It also serves as a reminder of an important part of our history.  We have some copies of The Oil and Gas Journal at the Tulsa Art Deco Museum.  The ones printed during the 1930's, when this building was built, have some great examples of Art Deco advertising artwork in them.  The journal was very widely known and respected around the world.  This building is actually unique architecturally in that it is an example of the Art Deco Style that transitions between the more ornate Zig Zag style and the Streamlined style.  It's simple, clean, bold geometry and facade having practically no ornamentation, which may seem boring to some, was actually quite forward and modern for the 1930s, which in itself tells you something about Tulsa, and the company and industry it sought to represent at that time.  We are quite lacking in even decent examples of this unique, but classic Art Deco style in Tulsa for most have been lost.  This rarity now makes this remaining building all the more important an example of it's kind.

Just about every time I mention to someone that Tulsa was once known as the Terra-cotta City, they have no idea what I am talking about.  The Adam's building is one remaining example of that. But we used to have so much of those types of buildings having that riot of ornate terra-cotta, that that was something we were widely known for.  But most of that was lost, fires, being torn down, small ones said to be of not much worth done away with, etc.  And now, despite how widely known it was at one time, most don't know about it at all anymore.

Would hate to see something similar happen with Tulsa's Art Deco.  We are known for it know, and it brings in tourists and makes our city unique and special, and gives us something to be proud of.  But truth be told, we are no longer one of the top cities in the US having one of the largest numbers and concentrations of Art Deco buildings.  We have lost so much that what we are left saying is pretty much a bluff, and or a "don't want to face the ugly truth" bit of denial.  There are probably now a dozen other cities that now have more than we do in the US alone.  We have some great examples left sure, but those aren't going to be enough to fool anyone into believing we have one of the top collections or top number of buildings if we wipe out all but a handful of the biggest and best.   Seattle has more and some great examples, so does Los Angeles, Hollywood, Chicago, Detroit, Miami of course, NYC probably has 10 times as much or more, Houston, New Jersey, Dallas, Kansas City has a number of large Art Deco buildings and likely more over all than we do as well, Minneapolis & St Paul have many stellar examples, Denver, etc. and dare I say that even OKC may be able to challenge us with a larger number Art Deco buildings remaining (though over all our best rival theirs).  

We keep moving down the list as we steadily destroy one of the few positive things we are known for around the world.  But truth be told, we are now know for "what we once had" for we have destroyed over half, and are now left relying on pretty much bluff and a few good examples.  But that is not even going to work if we destroy most of the remaining "little stuff".  

[Rookie Okie]

Another city that has one of the most extensive and impresseive collections of stunning and in tact terra cotta architecture in North America is Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Very few people are aware of that factoid as well.