Cityplex Towers Tulsa, OK

[Yackemflaber69]

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/c...-kleefeld.html

http://tulsagentleman.blogspot.com/2...ex-towers.html

The Cityplex Towers were built in 1981. They were invisioned by Oral Roberts. He claimes that god spoke to him and told him to built a hospital. Construction Started in 1979 and went threw alot of obstacles during construction.Roberts went to the site in 1980 and claimes to have seen a 900 ft tall jesus looking down at him.The towers were funded threw donations. It opend in November 1981 and the project started losing money fast. The complex closed in 1989 and was converted to offices.

[mhays]

Ok in a 1970s sort of way. There are good disco songs too.

Not so good outside of building aesthetics. The aerial shows that's it's remarkably separate from not just urban fabric, but even suburban fabric. That's a hell of a grassy moat. Even some suburban retail crap would at least use the land for something.

[texcolo]

Isn't that Oral Roberts University across the road in the first picture?

[Yackemflaber69]

Yes it is

[ThatOneGuy]

Love these towers. They have that almost sci-fi astract look which makes them awesome.











They seem to have gone through a renovation

[Yackemflaber69]

nice pictures

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by texcolo

Isn't that Oral Roberts University across the road in the first picture?

I think they share the same architect.

[RLS_rls]

Evil, glamorous, bombastic. I always thought this complex was ~the coolest~

[woodrow]

Way back, and I mean WAY BACK (1980's), I sorta explored the tallest tower. Creepy. The place was empty and largely unfinished. I remember seeing graffiti that said KKK on, like, the 45th floor.

Oh and there were GIANT praying hands in front.

This was going to be THE cancer research center of the US! According to Oral Roberts, who said that God told him to build the towers and create this research center and that his followers (Oral's) should give money for said project. TOTAL BUST.

The whole thing was truly weird. Oral Roberts University is across the street.

That said, there is a fabulous late 70's early 80's glam feel to the place.

[BG918]

The towers are currently in the midst of a major renovation which includes recladding involving the removal of the gold panels (which is essentially a perforated screen over a series punched windows) and replacing with curtain wall. There is a hospital and medical offices inside one of the towers, and offices in the others though I think the vacancy rate is high. It's a terribly inefficient building, low ceilings (the tallest tower has 60 floors!), outdated amenities, no covered parking and in the middle of a mostly residential area across from ORU about 8 miles from downtown Tulsa. Something medical-related is the only use I can foresee in the future, new curtain wall or not.

[woodrow]

Awwww man. That's a shame. In retrospect, the best part was that gold screen. It really does have a retro glam look and i wonder if te building will have as much impact when you can read the floors. Monolithic gold screens forever!!

[The North One]

Mercury City's illegitimate siblings.

[stormkingfan]

Looking at the details, including the entry, it looks like the sort of architecture one would find in Israel.

[ThatOneGuy]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/r...0ee214941.html

It seems they are replacing the corner golden glass with blue glass. Thankfully the iconic main facades are staying.

But what a total waste of $10 million! Replacing the tiny corner windows won't do shit for the efficiency of the building, not to mention it ruins the design and colour scheme. What a bunch of idiots. Plus the clad sample looks like it's made of cheap blue plastic.
Honestly, it should be a crime to alter this masterpiece of Late Century modernism.

[plinko]

Originally Posted by BG918

The towers are currently in the midst of a major renovation which includes recladding involving the removal of the gold panels (which is essentially a perforated screen over a series punched windows) and replacing with curtain wall. There is a hospital and medical offices inside one of the towers, and offices in the others though I think the vacancy rate is high. It's a terribly inefficient building, low ceilings (the tallest tower has 60 floors!), outdated amenities, no covered parking and in the middle of a mostly residential area across from ORU about 8 miles from downtown Tulsa. Something medical-related is the only use I can foresee in the future, new curtain wall or not.

Interesting. Any photos? If they are just replacing the corner glass, that has always been bronze as I recall. The blue against the gold could look really weird.

These things absolutely blaze in the late afternoon sun. It's quite a sight.

For those that don't know, each of the three towers originally had three crosses cut into the cladding on all three sides. It was odd. I think I've got some postcards of that era. I don't recall when the crosses were removed.

The year I lived in Tulsa (1990-1991) at age 14, I used to ride my bike to this complex (City of Faith as it was then) from my house and ride around in the huge parking lot all the time. I always found it to be an interesting piece of sculptural architecture, but totally devoid of any real value. I've never been up in the towers (they were essentially vacant that year), just inside the lobby.

I always thought it would make an interesting hotel, but Tulsa doesn't exactly need a 60 story hotel (or a 30 and a 20 next door), especially not way out there.

To me the towers still look a little more sterile without the healing hands out front. It was a cool sculpture. Didn't it get moved across the street?