The Eyesore List
A couple of weeks ago I posted the following question at www.okctalk.com: what are the worst downtown eyesores?
Here’s the list they compiled:
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Stage Center
Old Downtown Library
DEQ Building
AT&T campus
Former Stewart Metal buildings
304 NE 3 (Deep Deuce)
City Detox
Former Fox Collission Building
Bob Howard Ford
Union Bus Station
First National Arcade
Trigen
Garage at Kerr and Harvey
Park Harvey Building
Former nightclub at Main and Walker
Goodyear Tire store
Browns bakery
Dowell Center
Bricktown Parking Garage
U-Haul building in Bricktown
Cotton Coop
Finley building
Bass Pro
Century Center
Harkins Theater
So, what’s next? I’ve got a camera, and I’m preparing to take some photos of these “eyesores.” Then I’ll provide details on some of these properties, followed by a poll here at www.okccentral.com. The more of you who vote in this poll, the more likely it is you might nudge someone to make some improvements. Now, quiz time friends… which one of these “eyesores” is the only Oklahoma City property to win one of the highest architectural honors possible? Which property was deemed one of the city’s most significant architectural landmarks by a panel of architects and preservationists? Which building is owned by dedicated urban pioneers who have led in their district’s revival? And which building is closest to becoming history?
New Skyline?
Thanks to the wonders of photoshop, some glances at our potential new skyline are beginning to emerge. Here are a couple that have popped up the past 24 hours:
- Doug Loudenback, www.dougdawg.blogspot.com
- BG198, www.okctalk.com
I know there are a lot of photoshop and simcity geniuses out there, and even some architects and architectural interns and students who are reading this blog. So let’s have some fun with this – take your best shot at imagining the new downtown OKC skyline and email to me, and I’ll post them over the next several days.
You might never know whose eyes are reading this site, and how your imagination could influence the folks who will be making the final call of downtown’s future.
Burning Design
Will anyone fight to save this fire station from being torn down in 50 years?
Oklahoma City Fire Station 37, built in 1996, Oklahoman Archives
I’ve been thinking more about the city’s decision to build a new fire station at the east entrance to Bricktown. Old Downtown Guy suggests we shouldn’t be trying to mimick designs of stations of decades past – but rather come up with a new design that still complements the area.
So here are some stations that caught my eye cruising the Internet. The first one, shown above, is located in Ashland, Oregon, and is clearly the pride of the community. The story below is from the city’s web site:
Ashland Fire & Rescue Station #1
Owners: City of Ashland – Keith Woodley, Fire Chief/Project Manager
Architects: Peck Smiley Ettlin Architects
Contractor: Adroit Construction
What started out as a small early 1900′s auto service repair and gas station and later converted into a fire station is now the site of one of the most attractive buildings in the City and probably one of the most attractive fire stations on the West Coast.Prior to the City’s commitment to reconstruct the fire station, the old fire/gas station was considered by manyin the community as an unattractive site with dangerous ingress and egress access.
Since the building’s completion, the community has embrace the building with enthusiasm.
The street activity along the frontage clearly demonstrates a positive aesthetic impact as well as a financial benefit shared throughout the Downtown area.In an age when projects of this type do not consider “human scale” design or orientation or have such recessed parking bays, they create a “missing tooth” in the Main Street façade.
Also, new fire stations are typically built near the city’s fringe – fragmenting any potential lationship to downtown businesses and the community. Ashland Fire & Rescue Station #1 shows vision for future developments in the City.The Historic Commission would like to thank not only the citizens of Ashland for providing the funds to build the station, but also the Ashland City Council for providing the necessary direction and vision for our community’s future.
Mesa, Arizona Fire Station No. 217
Architect: Wood Associates Architects, Inc., Mesa
Columbia, Missouri, Peckham & Wright Architects
