Gilcrease Museum Demolition

[TulsaBeMore]

I saw the December schematics for the dam on the city engineer's webpage. It's an incredible project.

Can you provide a link?  I can't find it.

[Tulsan]

Can you provide a link?  I can't find it.

I started a new thread for it here: http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=21842

[SXSW]

Sort of related  -  Anybody know why Philbrook didn't get the George Kravis Industrial Design Collection? Said to be one of the most impressive collections in the country.  First, it was to be housed at Philbrook in the Arts District according to promotional material from 2013.   

I know Philbrook is moving out of downtown (with the Bob Dylan Archive taking its place) and consolidating their modern/contemporary art collection on Rockford.  I wonder if they would be open to having a second location again focused on modern/contemporary art.  The parking lot next to AHHA where the Dylan Archive was going to be built would be a great location.  Not sure if Gilcrease has a modern collection but they could have a place there as well. 

[tulsamatt]

I saw that Crystal Bridges announced a big expansion this morning and was curious if there's any news on the Gilcrease demo/rebuild? - https://crystalbridges.org/blog/crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art-reveals-plans-for-major-expansion-designed-by-safdie-architects/

Bentonville, Ark. — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art today revealed plans for an expansion that will increase the size of the current facilities by 50 percent. Adding nearly 100,000 square feet to the 200,000-square-foot facility, the expansion will allow the museum to showcase its growing collection and welcome more visitors to experience the power of art, in an inclusive environment. Envisioned to support Crystal Bridges' commitment to free access to art for all, the new space will increase capacity for presenting art and exhibitions, educational and outreach initiatives, cultural programming, and community events.

[LandArchPoke]

I saw that Crystal Bridges announced a big expansion this morning and was curious if there's any news on the Gilcrease demo/rebuild? - https://crystalbridges.org/blog/crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art-reveals-plans-for-major-expansion-designed-by-safdie-architects/

I am curious as well. I haven't seen anything in a while. It's odd how quite most of these Vision projects are or maybe I'm just missing the coverage on it. There's been very little fanfare with most of the projects it seems like, counter to the original Vision package. Not sure if it's because they're all going through things like Gilcrease where the project isn't even what was sold to voters in the first place. I do hope the new design is built with the ability to expand down the road, given the collections Gilcrease owns there's no reason it be close to 200,000 to 300,000 sq. ft. Maybe some donors will come around down the road to expand the museum.

[Oil Capital]

Found this on the city's Vision website (apparently outdated):

PROJECT TIMELINE:
The following timeline is a fluid estimate of major project milestones. As with any large design project, dates are subject to change.
March 25 (2019): Architect submissions due to City of Tulsa April: Mayor's Task Force short lists the architects
May-June (2019): Architect interviews
June (2019): Construction manager selected  (This item was completed in July 2019)
July (2019): Mayor's Task Force selects architect firm (This item was completed in June 2019)
July 2019-July 2021: Design phase  (I guess we're still in the Design phase and they must plan to be in Design phase for a while longer, or there would surely be some indication of when the Museum will be closing for its 2-year construction phase)
January 2021: Construction begins

PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT:
• One 5,000-square-foot changing gallery for traveling exhibitions
• Three changing galleries designed primarily for Gilcrease Collection • Open storage to display more of the Gilcrease Collection
• Three core thematic galleries
• Dedicated education space
• Helmerich Great Hall
• New lobby and retail store
• Café
• New facade for museum entrance


Also found this Facebook post from late Feb 2020:
Design phase was starting then and would take about 2 years.
  So we're probably a year away from demolition, with construction to follow.
https://www.facebook.com/GilcreaseMuseum/posts/10157875423484705

[SXSW]

Waiting for Vision 2025 to chime in 

I'm excited for this, Gilcrease is awesome and this is an opportunity for it to be a much larger attraction. 

[Vision 2025]

Waiting for Vision 2025 to chime in  

I'm excited for this, Gilcrease is awesome and this is an opportunity for it to be a much larger attraction.  

It's a Vision Tulsa project, and not a 2025 project.  But that said, as City Attorney, my dad negotiated the deal with Mr. Gilcrese and wrote the bond issue which both the voters and the Supreme Court approved so yes I have a special interest in Gilcrease.

[TulsaBeMore]

Waiting for Vision 2025 to chime in  

I'm excited for this, Gilcrease is awesome and this is an opportunity for it to be a much larger attraction.  

I'm not excited.  It's a stripped down version which leaves Gilcrease with considerably less square footage and hardly any design bells and whistles.  I don't believe they've done a big push (maybe any push) to get private dollars to make a facility worthy of the Gilcrease collection.   Gilcrease should be housed in a facility equivalent to Crystal Bridges.  An iconic structure and grounds.  It's the only thing in Tulsa that is not a "me too."  Gathering Place is incredible, but cities have parks including extravagant ones.  Nobody on earth has the same collection as Gilcrease --- or so we've been told forever.  If showcased properly, it would be a benefit economically to Tulsa.  Arguably, Oklahoma City promotes its far less significant National Cowboy Museum better --- I'll bet most uninformed/neophytes would think its the major western museum in Oklahoma and Bentonville just flat outclasses on presentation. The building is part of the art.  I'm sure the Childrens Museum at Riverside will be outstanding, but an opportunity was lost, I believe, in making the exterior of that building part of the "discovery" process.        

[SXSW]

I'm not excited.  It's a stripped down version which leaves Gilcrease with considerably less square footage and hardly any design bells and whistles.  I don't believe they've done a big push (maybe any push) to get private dollars to make a facility worthy of the Gilcrease collection.   Gilcrease should be housed in a facility equivalent to Crystal Bridges.  An iconic structure and grounds.  It's the only thing in Tulsa that is not a "me too."  Gathering Place is incredible, but cities have parks including extravagant ones.  Nobody on earth has the same collection as Gilcrease --- or so we've been told forever.  If showcased properly, it would be a benefit economically to Tulsa.  Arguably, Oklahoma City promotes its far less significant National Cowboy Museum and Bentonville just flat outclasses on presentation.       

Have we even seen the design yet though? 

[TulsaBeMore]

Have we even seen the design yet though? 

I have not, but the footprint is much smaller.  I believe when announced it would be too expensive to renovate the existing facility and add square footage, that they said amenities would be targeted --- more narrow focused.  Could be wrong.  Hopefully that's changed.  Even so, it's nothing comparable to Crystal Bridges.   

[SXSW]

Even so, it's nothing comparable to Crystal Bridges.   

Correct - but that sets the bar pretty high and is arguably the best museum of its kind in the country.  It also just happens to be 2 hours away..

[TulsaBeMore]

Correct - but that sets the bar pretty high and is arguably the best museum of its kind in the country.  It also just happens to be 2 hours away..

Not sure what you're trying to say.  If Gilcrease has the single most significant collection of western art and artifacts in the world in addition to the Dylan archive, etc - why wouldn't the bar set be the absolute highest.  I'd think its in the same market for the major museum dollar along with OKC.  In fact, I read that in coverage of the original Gilcrease expansion before it was realized the building was a hodge-podged disaster.  The need to keep up with the regional museums for people who travel and make museums their destinations, etc.  Gathering Place set the bar the highest in its area, everyone says. 

[Urban Enthusiast]

I'm sure the Childrens Museum at Riverside will be outstanding, but an opportunity was lost, I believe, in making the exterior of that building part of the "discovery" process.         

I was thinking the same thing.  Something like the exterior of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis would be cool.  The dinosaurs making a run for it and a couple peering into the building. 

View from 30th and Illinois

View of main entrance

[TulsaBeMore]

I was thinking the same thing.  Something like the exterior of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis would be cool.  The dinosaurs making a run for it and a couple peering into the building.  

View from 30th and Illinois

View of main entrance

I think the Indianapolis Children's Museum is the most popular in the country.  Also, have you see the huge bear at the convention center in Denver or the architecture of Cesar Pelli's  Connecticut Science Museum?  I'm sure the Tulsa museum will be cool, the outside on the renderings just looked a little mundane --- could have been a credit union headquarters or similar.  I'm a big fan of the architects who designed it --- they can design anything.   I went back and looked at the renderings.  It looks good.  I'm prepared to eat my words once I see it in person.