David- this is a structure I am sure you are familiar with, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, located in downtown Tulsa, designed by Bruce Goff. Construction was completed in 1929 and is considered to be one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Art Deco architecture in the U.S. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1999. The exterior is reminiscent of Gothic architecture with the soaring straight lines towering upward. The cost of the building was 1.25 million dollars. I guess oil will provide a large bank account to fund such a beautiful structure. Once again, in my opinion, masonry work of old is a large factor in what makes this building so wonderful, and of lasting stateliness. I think masonry/concrete of all kinds is the key player in providing a lasting significance of a structure. I wish more of it was done today. I realize small brick is used a lot, but I am talking about larger stones and "old-world" techniques. I imagine the craftsmen that can do this kind of work, if the budget allows, are few and far between, especially in the U.S.
Interesting truth about the design of this structure is that a lady by the name of Adah Robinson was the originator of the conceptual idea sketches. She was an art teacher at Central High School in Tulsa where Bruce Goff was one of her students. Goff designed her home and studio in the mid 1920’s. He took her original design ideas for Boston Avenue Methodist and then came up with the actual working design of the church.
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