Future of Temple Israel Looking Brighter Bleak

Update: 01/28/09 - NewsOn6 has an update on the building and it doesn't sound good.
"...investigators visited the scene Wednesday and determined the building has no internal structural components in tact or reliable enough to prevent a collapse of the exterior walls."

Update: 01/27/09 - On 01/27/09 at 3am, the former Temple building caught fire. It's suspected that some homeless started a fire to keep warm during the ice storm last night, and it got out of control. Firefighters at the scene say that it's too dangerous to enter the building. No one is believed to be hurt.
[Ch 2 News]
[Newson6]
[Tulsa World]
My heart goes out to the developer who was attempting to restore this building and to all the Tulsans who were looking forward to seeing it finally happen.


Still burning around 4pm 01/27/09. Photo by Gold from TulsaNow Forum.

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According to this NewsOn6.com article, the long vacated "Temple Israel" building is to be restored and turned into a community arts center. Sitting on the corner of 14th and Cheyenne since 1910, Tulsa's first synagogue has been abandoned for years. It's the last of the early synagogues left standing in Tulsa. The new owner, Kevin Stephens, has hopes of having the building placed on the National Historic Registry and using it's auditorium for dance, theater and visual arts performances. This project could really bring new life to this neighborhood and rescue a decaying Tulsa landmark from demolition. Win/Win.


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Top photo copyright Dan Watson.

Labels: abandoned, restored

Diamond Building - Abundant Life Building Reimagined

"This reconstruction of a 6 story windowless building into an 12 story mixed use facility is expected to help revitalize an entire section of near-downtown Tulsa. The uses will include ground floor retail, office space from 2nd through 6th floors and well-appointed condominiums in the 7th through 12th floors. Materials include a rough rectangular limestone base and columns, metal trellises and sunscreens and preformed concrete panels. An iconic rooftop lookout platform is oriented towards the downtown skyline, and extends the roof garden that overlooks the neighboring Veterans Park, historic neighborhoods and the Arkansas River in the near distance."

It's an interesting idea, although I have to wonder where the "diamonds" are. In fact, this design is lacking in pretty much any reference to the original architecture. Ignoring that fact, I think it's a pretty good looking building. I'd love to live in a modern multi-use building like this, particularly once occupancy reached a good level. With an additional 6 floors you'd have some spectacular views comparable to the University Tower. It's unlikely that this particular proposal will come to pass, but it's interesting to see what people can dream up for the renewal of this historic Tulsa landmark (albeit eyesore, currently). Most people I talk to dream of it as a rubble heap, being carried off in large dump trucks. I have mixed feelings myself. The historic significance as the headquarters of Oral Roberts Ministry is unquestioned, but the structure simply doesn't lend itself easily to re-purposing without drastic changes.

Top photo/Quote: Freese Architecture


Abundant Life Building at Night courtesy of Beryl Ford Collection, Tulsa City-County Library

Labels: abandoned

The Remains of Detroit

From the "It Could Be Worse" Department:
Sean Hemmerle, a Brooklyn, New York-based photographer has captured much of the world when they were at their lowest point. His work at Ground Zero led to his continued work in Afghanistan and Iraq. A regular photographer for Time, he has recently preserved the derelict side of Detroit. Time.com has put this photo-essay online covering some of these aging abandoned structures of America's Motor City. In reference to the former passenger depot, Michigan Central Station, Hemmerle says "It's staggering, that such a phenomenal piece of architecture could stand empty for twenty years." For all of the history of industrial superiority that many of these buildings represented for the city of Detroit (and indeed all of the US), they now wait patiently for their inevitable demolition. Makes me thankful to live in Tulsa. It truly could be much worse.

I've always been fascinated by Detroit's abandoned buildings since David Kohrman started Forgotten Detroit back in 1999. It's the closest thing we have to a post-apocalyptic large city in the United States. Ukraine has Chernobyl (Pripyat) and we have Detroit. Even though I've only briefly driven through the city once, I've spent many hours absorbing the images and history of a lost Detroit. BTW, I do realize that these only represent a portion of the city, and that it's not entirely this way. But the shots of the forgotten parts are ominously wonderful to me!

Above: The Michigan Theatre, a glorious 1926 performance venue was converted to a parking garage in 1976.

Labels: abandoned