Price Tower Oklahoma Building, Bartlesville Architecture, Architects, United States, PTAC News

Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Key 20th Century American Skyscraper Design by Frank Lloyd Wright Architect

Aug 1, 2017

Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma Building

Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma (architect: Frank Lloyd Wright);

Price Company Tower, Bartlesville

Date built: 1952-56

Design: Frank Lloyd Wright

Price Tower One of Twelve Recipients of Getty Foundation’s Keeping It Modern Grants

Grant for: Price Tower Arts Center Inc.

The sole skyscraper of influential architect Frank Lloyd Wright stands out in the prairie landscape of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

photo © Jessica Lamirand, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Price Tower rises 19 stories tall and remains a commanding feature of the town’s modest skyline. For the interior spaces, Wright designed a mix of offices, shops, and residences that would generate revenue from residential and commercial leases. The arrangement succeeded, and the building remained in use, as designed, until its sale to Phillips Petroleum in 1981.

Phillips renovated Price Tower’s mechanicals, plumbing, and electrical systems, and stabilized the exterior prior to donating the building to Price Tower Arts Center (PTAC) in 2002. Upon assuming ownership, the PTAC has taken important steps to preserve the tower as a living example of Wright’s architecture. An adaptive reuse plan for nine floors created hotel rooms and a restaurant, while preserving character-defining features.

The Price Company’s executive offices and corporate apartment still remain largely in their original condition or have been restored to approximate their original state. In recognition of PTAC’s sensitive restoration and quality stewardship, Price Tower was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007. While PTAC has carefully preserved and adapted Price Tower to meet contemporary needs, additional structural and mechanical repairs at the historic site are necessary.

PTAC recognizes that such repairs will be successful only if they are done systematically. A comprehensive conservation management plan will be developed that takes a holistic view of the building’s long-term care and promises to deepen the field’s understanding of the skyscraper’s architectural significance.

Grant support: $75,000

Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma Building images / information from The Getty Foundation

Frank Lloyd Wright

Getty Foundation Keeping it Modern 2017 Grants

Location:Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA

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