The Price Tower in Oklahoma is the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and one of only two of the architect’s designs in vertical orientation. The headquarters of Harold C. Price’s company was intended to be like “a tall tree pulled out of the forest that someone had set up on the Oklahoma prairie”. Modernist ornamentation and specially designed furniture make the building a work of art. In contrast, the Cherokee Red of the interiors leaves no doubt as to who designed the building. Unfortunately, in recent years, the historic skyscraper has found itself at the heart of a controversy over its dodgy new buyer. In 2023. Price Tower was sold for a symbolic $10.
Runaway skyscraper
When Harold C. Price asked an architect friend and dean of the University of Oklahoma’s architecture department who would best design his company’s headquarters, architect Bruce Goff immediately pointed to Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright, in turn, had long planned to create a distinctive skyscraper. Plans from the 1920s show a design for a residential skyscraper in New York that was never realised because of the Great Depression. A good opportunity to exploit the idea came with a commission from Price, who owned a local pipeline company. It is worth mentioning that construction took four years and was completed in 1956.
In a sense, the lone skyscraper ‘escaped’ from New York all the way to the steppes of Oklahoma, specifically to the small town of Bartlesville. Despite its status as a skyscraper, the Price Tower is by no means the tallest building in the city, and at 67 m high, it is by no means meant to compete with other high-rise buildings. The Price Tower’s strengths lie primarily in its form and interesting details.
Copper tree
The Price Tower looks different from each side. This design is intended to relate to the motif of a diverse tree. The core of the building is the lift shafts laid out in the shape of a four-armed windmill. It is a ‘tree trunk’ cast in concrete into finished forms. Rows of storeys are suspended between the arms of the core, which can be seen especially from below. The painted copper tiles, on the other hand, are meant to symbolise leaves. The metal panels take on different shapes and arrangements, adding further variety to the facade. Noticeable are both the razor-shaped panels arranged horizontally, which are further separated by strips of decorated copper tiles, and the elements climbing upwards with rows of tall windows. It is worth mentioning that the vertical lines of the building stand in full opposition to Wright’s other classic work, Fallingwater, which you can read about HERE.
Some less familiar with Wright’s work might not associate the Price Tower with the famous architect, but certain details betray his masterful hand. We are mainly talking about the interior, where the floors are made of stained concrete in Cherokee Red. The architect’s favourite colour blends perfectly with the slightly creamy concrete of the walls. The shapes of the triangular lamps or the angular spiral of the skylight above the lobby also point to a master of modernism.
The different sections of the building are very different. The Price Tower showcases standard office spaces, mezzanine flats and a wide lobby located in a lower concrete block. Price asked Wright to create a residential section for additional profit. At the very top, the architect also designed a penthouse for the owner. Interestingly, the mezzanine floors in the living area continue the theme of external copper tiles. The angles of these elements even ‘pierce’ the glass walls and extend outwards, thus creating a sharp edge in the flat façade.
State fame
Price Senior died in 1962, and his sons and their mother ran the business until 1981.The Price’s eventually sold the skyscraper to oil company Philips Petroleum and set up separate businesses. The new owner only used the Price Tower premises as storage space. Fortunately, in 2000, the building was turned over to the Price Tower Arts Center, which is a local organisation that runs the Wright Museum of Art and Architecture. The museum’s collection includes modern art and furniture designed by the architect. Tables and chairs designed by Wright reference the Price Tower’s ornamentation with their shapes and copper finishes. Interestingly, the collection still includes triangular-shaped furniture donated by Bruce Goff. Also included in the display are Price’s restored offices from the 1950s. The building’s new owners have also created shops and a small Price Tower Inn hotel.
The building was only listed as a historic building in 2007, even though for many years its architecture had made Bartlesville famous throughout the South. The authorities even wanted the building to be listed by UNESCO, but the organisation rejected the application. Interestingly, in 1967, The Classen skyscraper was built in the state capital, Oklahoma City, which directly references the architecture of the Price Tower.
The big scam
Despite the efforts and increased activity of the Price Tower Arts Centre, the building struggled financially and was sold to Copper Tree in 2023. The transaction was for a symbolic $10. The company announced up to $10 million worth of renovations, but there is currently no indication that work will begin.
A year after the purchase, the foreign trade press publicised the Copper Tree scandal. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, which is the organisation that controls the condition of the architect’s works, accused the company of illegally selling the Price Tower’s historic furniture and furnishings. It is worth noting that prior to purchasing the building, Copper Tree had signed an agreement with the organisation that prohibits the sale of the building’s original furnishings. Moreover, the actual condition of the Price Tower cannot be checked as the building has been closed to the public and most of the employees have been dismissed. According to the organisation, the company made unauthorised sales of the armchairs, copper relief, and furniture donated by Bruce Goff.
The case is still unfolding, and in August 2024 the building went to auction with an asking price of $600,000. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy points out that the organisation has not been informed of such intentions on the part of Copper Tree. Lawsuits and attempts to legally recover illegally sold items have also been announced. The building is currently $2 million in debt, further outraging those involved in the case.
It is sad to see a deteriorating building whose future is uncertain. It has been 21 years since the last refurbishment and current plans for renovation remain only on paper. The Price Tower is a unique work by one of the most important architects of the 20th century. It is one of only three Wright buildings completed in Oklahoma and is still the most important piece of architectural heritage in the state.
Source: Architect’s Newspaper, NY Post
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