Price Tower remains Bartlesville's beautiful 'tree'

As the leaves begin to change colors and fall … temperatures are also falling, and we at Price Tower are celebrating the arrival of a new season. For us, Autumn marks the beginning of some exciting upcoming plans.

Did you know Frank Lloyd Wright identified Price Tower as “The Tree That Escaped the Crowded Forest”? The unique form of Price Tower was originally designed by Wright in 1929 as a cluster of apartment towers intended for downtown New York City. But due to the effects of the Great Depression, his vision went unrealized. Mr. Wright was delighted to later have the opportunity to build his tower on the plains of the Oklahoma prairie. He gave it this nickname because it had escaped the crowded “forest” of Manhattan skyscrapers and was now able “to cast its own shadow upon its own piece of land.” At the time of its construction -- which took place from 1953 to 1956 -- the Price Tower was the tallest building in Bartlesville.

The “tree” nickname also reflects the structural design of the tower. Wright was an “organic” architect and often chose themes and ideas from nature. The “trunk” of Price Tower is comprised of four elevator shafts and their structural walls. The trunk extends deep underground like a “tap root” and provides the strong support for the upper floors, whose tapering cantilevered concrete floor slabs are like “branches.” The outer walls are not needed to support the building, which allows for large expanses of window glass. The exterior of the Tower is clad in copper panels and sun louvers creating the “leaves” of the tree, whose color was aided by chemical applications rather than the effects of nature upon the material. The building also tapers upward like a tree with the top three floors progressively becoming narrower and the penthouse floor only a single suite of rooms.

Wright also wished to visually connect the inside of his building with the outside landscape by using similar materials on both the interior and exterior, such as the copper panels, concrete, and aluminum trim. Large windows draw the eye outside toward the view of the scenic Oklahoma prairie, with Wright preferring not to have draperies or artwork on the walls to distract one’s eye from experiencing the beauty.

As we begin to look forward to the 65th anniversary of Price Tower’s opening, the history and uniqueness of its existence is truly amazing. With that being said, we continue to welcome a host of guests both in Copper Restaurant + Bar on the 15th and 16th floors as well as outdoors on our beautiful new Plaza. Come take advantage of the cooler autumn weather and enjoy Wright Chef Jordan’s culinary creations. 

Our final art exhibit of the year will be "Arkansas Territory: 200 Years of History in One Art Collection". This is an 80-piece juried collection by artists from nine states. Our Price Tower Member Preview is at 5:30 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 9, with the exhibition opening to the public Oct. 10. This exhibit is free and will be featured every day through Jan. 4.  As always, you can find more information at pricetower.org.

Thanks for the continued support for Price Tower, and come visit us often.

Rick Loyd is the executive director of the Price Tower Arts Center