In last week’s blog, I reminisced about the design and construction of the Mid-Continent Tower in downtown Tulsa, which has just received the Eastern Oklahoma AIA chapter’s 25-Year Award. I have many wonderful memories of working on that landmark. Here are a few more.
In addition to my trips to Italy, Canada, and New York, there was one all-important trip to Lincoln, California. We traveled to Lincoln to visit a company called Gladding, McBean & Co., established in 1884. By the early 1980s it was the only supplier left in the U.S. (and possibly the world) that could manufacture the high volume of terra cotta tiles that we needed for the tower’s façade.
Very few buildings used terra cotta by that time but it was vital to replicating the look of the original, historic building. Gladding, McBean assured us they could do the job. We entrusted them with this vital task and they successfully created the 85,000 tiles, spires, cornices, and moldings we needed—a very tall order.
Hand-crafting the tiles required the same techniques and craftsmanship the company had used for the past century. The craftsmen began with architectural drawings and photographs, and created full-scale drawings for each shape. A modeler sculpted each shape into clay, and another craftsman would pour plaster of paris to create a mold. They fit red clay into the mold and glazed the clay. Finally, the clay shapes journeyed through a 325-foot-long kiln for ten days. It was a fascinating process and I think often of how much effort went into the creation of the tower’s façade.
We also had custom-designed chandeliers from Brooklyn (where I had to cross union lines for a factory inspection), stained glass made here in Tulsa, and many ornamental details that carefully reflected elements in the original building, for which we had previously designed the restoration. When the tower was complete, it was said that it was “one of the finest gifts to a community ever seen.”
What I remember most is the camaraderie and trust among the entire team. Here in the office, I worked closely with Frank Chitwood, now retired, who was the principal-in-charge. I also worked with Steve Vogt, who helped tremendously with the sketches and renderings—a role he continues today along with all of his design work.
Lowell Heck of Flintco, the general contractor, was instrumental in the success of this building. He is still with Flintco, and our firms continue to work together on many projects. Charlie Thornton, our client at Reading & Bates, died a few years ago. It was his vision to see the Mid-Continent Tower built, and to ensure that it was indeed a gift to the city of Tulsa. His energy, perseverance, integrity, and loyalty are qualities that I will always remember.
