I’m in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 2008 National Preservation Conference and took some time this afternoon to become acclimated to my home for the next week.

Tulsa is known for its great collection of art deco architecture, and on my way to the TV studio this morning to do a stint on Good Morning Tulsa I drove past the magnificent Boston Avenue Methodist Church.  What a building!  It was highlighted on the cover of the July/August 2008 issue of Preservation magazine in a beautiful photograph and – seen in the morning light – is even more stunning in person.  I hope to take some photos later in the week when we’re there for conference events.

In walking around downtown on a beautiful fall day, I found a range of 20th century architecture – not just art deco.  The photo at the top of the post just gives a hint of the range of styles one sees when walking around with an open eye.

The newest landmark in Tulsa just opened last August – the Cesar Pelli-designed BOK Center.  One of my colleagues went inside yesterday afternoon and said it was a terrific space.  I’m posting a couple of photos of that building from different angles.

In the shot on the right, you can also see the mid-century modern Federal Building, which I learned this morning is threatened.

I took more photos and will upload more posts – including those art deco gems – later in the week.

More to come…

DJB