True. How true.

Put a few Baum Building photos in here.
http://bit.ly/y0mtvp

I have heard, that it might become a children’s museum and has a major benefactor now…(Stage Center)…

sorry, i just can’t get excited about saving the stage center. unlike the criterion, the baum building, or the biltmore, there is nothing unique there that cannot easily be duplicated. it’s a frigging set of boxes and tubes, for crying out loud. tearing down the baum and criterion for the sheraton century center/ myriad makes about as much sense as tearing down the poncan theatre or the coleman theater for a sam’s warehouse. too bad they couldn’t see that back in the sixties.

I wonder if the children’s museum will have a pool in its plans, because there will eventually be one at stage center – guaranteed. It’s already happened twice and there is no amount of money that can stop it. And as the next administration carts out their water-soaked documents, pictures and computers (like the children’s arts camp did in 2009 – on the day camp was supposed to start) we can all pat ourselves on the back that we stuck up for this stinker of a building.

I’m of the opinion that when it comes to stage center,some people are trying christmas wrap a tin can while trying to convince us its gold.

You either love it or hate it, but you can’t deny that it is a conversation starter. I also think it is a vocal minority that want to get rid of it.

It can be fixed Jeffrey. If you want to get technical, I would be happy to discuss it. And David, your comparison is weak and doesn’t deserve consideration.

Steve, I am beginning to think you are a sadist! Seeing the sad fate of the Criterion, seeing the sad arguments regarding Stage Center…. well, it brings a tear to my eye; particularly the last two shots. What could have been, and what unfortunately was.

matt, you were the one who brought up the stage center in a thread about the criterion where someone else brought up the baum building. i will agree that the stage center is weak when compared to the criterion or the baum building. i remember well when the new mummers theater was opened to the public, and the excitement that urban renewal had brought something new to downtown. on the other hand, outside of its “bold” (read: corbusian and impractical) design, it not only wastes space, it is a disaster for utilities and is prone to flooding. there is vitually no craftsmanship displayed in any facet of the structure. it inspires varying senses of wonderment by all, but not unanimous admiration by any means. if it is in fact a design worthy of emulation (examples of which elude me), it is certainly capable of being replicated at minimal expense, due to its very design.

it never ceases to amaze me how some architects are impressed simply by something being unique rather than how the structure fits into the usability of its owner, much less by how it is received by the public at large. the baum building and the criterion were victims of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. stage center has seen a continuous flow of various theater groups being unable to continue to operate in a facility described as a masterpiece only by architects patting each other on the back.

i have not advocated its destruction, but i am certainly not in favor of tax dollars saving it. i do not love it, nor do i hate it. i find its design to be a novelty, but i think it pales in comparison to other worthy buildings that have been destroyed. as noted above, i think if it is truly useful (even as an example), it could be cheaply and easily reproduced in another location where it would not be subject to flooding. i seriously doubt that there would be any takers on such a proposition, and i have a pretty good idea as to why that would not happen.

i’m sorry you didn’t find my observations interesting, but i suspect i’m not the only one who holds these views, and i suspect that many are far less charitable than i have been.

steve, looking at the above picture reminded me of an ugly part of our history. do you recall whether or not the criterion was ever segregated? seeing the balcony makes me think it probably was.

steve, the pictures above reminded me of an ugly part of our history. do you know if the criterion was ever segregated? seeing the balcony makes me think perhaps it was.

wow. has the captcha gone mad?

It’s sickening that all those beautiful buildings were destroyed for no good reason. Ugly, stucco, boxy buildings and parking lots are what Okc wanted downtown. Guess Okc ultimately got what it deserved.