We wouldn't normally assign the title of skyscraper to a building that's only 19 stories tall. But when it's a tower designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, that's exactly what we'll call it. Harold Price, chairman of an industrial firm in Oklahoma, commissioned it for his corporate headquarters, and the skyscraper first opened to the public in 1956.
Built in the middle of Oklahoma, Wright called the Price Tower "The tree that escaped the crowded forest." The comment was intended to describe the appearance of the tower, sure, but it also described the way in which the building was constructed. With four central elevators anchored deep in the earth, the outer walls were designed to "hang" from the floors of the building--like the leaves of a tree.
In 2000, the skyscraper was donated to the Price Tower Arts Center and began a new life when it was also named to the US National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Arts Center runs tours of the building every day except Monday. The $10 walk-through also includes a visit to the penthouse executive suite and apartment, showcasing the original 1956 interiors.
You can even spend a night at the Inn at Price Tower, which was recently renovated to feature flat screen TVs, iPod docks and pillow-top mattresses. There are only 19 rooms, but all are in the seven upper floors of the tower. You can also grab a meal at the Copper Restaurant and Bar. There's a gift shop too: The Wright Place Museum Store is probably the best architecture souvenir store in Bartlesville, Oklahoma!
Related Stories:
· Price Tower Arts Center [Official Site]
· Frank Lloyd Wright coverage [Jaunted]
· Frank Lloyd Wright Map [Jaunted]
[Photo: TheFightingPikeys]
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