The Architectural and Spiritual Significance of the Oral Roberts University Prayer Tower
The Prayer Tower, a distinctive structure on the campus of Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, stands as both an architectural landmark and a potent symbol of the university's spiritual mission. This article delves into the tower's design, its symbolic meaning, and the inspirations behind its unique aesthetic.
A Fusion of Faith and Futuristic Design
The Prayer Tower is a late Googie design-influenced tower located on the campus of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rising 200 feet (60.9 m) into the Oklahoma sky, the Prayer Tower stands as the spiritual and architectural centerpiece of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. Designed by Tulsa architect Frank Wallace, the 200 ft (60.9 m) glass and steel structure opened in 1967. The Prayer Tower at Oral Roberts University is a 200 foot tall tower in the middle of the campus. It was built in 1965 and was designed by Frank Wallace. It is said to be a “Googie” influenced design. Googie is new term to me and it refers to futuristic or “space age” designs. The Prayer Tower is a unique tower located at Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was designed in a cool, futuristic style called Googie architecture, which was popular in the 1950s and 60s.
More than just a landmark, the Prayer Tower is layered with Christian symbolism. According to school publicity the tower's form is laden with Christian symbolism. ORU is a charismatic Christian university. Central Location: The tower is placed right in the middle of the campus. Positioned at the heart of campus, it represents the central role of prayer in university life. The Prayer Tower is located at the center of campus to symbolize prayer's central role in the goals of the university.
Architectural Features and Influences
The Seattle space needle inspired look along with the white, gold and black palette created an image of luxury. The architecture of ORU has earned the University national fame and at one time, ORU was the number one tourist attraction in Oklahoma. ORU made Frank Wallace famous and his unique designs are part of the Oral Roberts’ legacy. The genius of the futuristic look just adds to ORU’s “expect a miracle” ethos. But Wallace and Roberts may have had some inspiration for ORU’s unique look.
Observation Deck and Gardens
At the top of the tower, there's an enclosed observation deck. From here, you can see all around the area, getting a 360-degree view of the ORU campus and beyond. An enclosed observation deck gives a 360° view of the surrounding area and enables a self-guided visual tour of the ORU campus. The landscaped Ralph L. Reece Memorial Gardens surround the tower base. Beautiful gardens called the Ralph L. Reece Memorial Gardens surround the base of the tower. The surrounding Ralph L. Reece Memorial Gardens provide a tranquil setting, featuring bronze sculptures of Jesus and two students by artist Beverly Paddleford.
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Symbolic Design Elements
Shape from Different Angles: The tower has a special disc and spindle shape. If you look at it from the side, it looks like a Christian cross. The disc and spindle design takes on the look of a cross from any horizontal bearing, and from the air resembles the Star of David. From above, its disc-and-spindle structure resembles the Star of David, while from any ground-level angle, it echoes the form of a cross.
Upward Spiral: The tower's design has an "upward spiral" shape. The tower's "upward spiral" is intended to mirror one's relationship with God.
Crown of Thorns: The special pattern around the observation deck is said to represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. The latticework which surrounds the observation deck is reportedly built in part from standard white PVC pipe (with the original specification markings still somewhat visible) and is meant as a semi-literal representation of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus on the cross, with red coloring for the blood Christ shed in death.
Luxurious Look: The tower's design, with its white, gold, and black colors, was inspired by famous buildings like the Space Needle in Seattle.
Eternal Flame: At the very top of the tower, there is a flame that never goes out.
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World's Fair Inspiration
The discovery that Oral Roberts and Frank Wallace were inspired by the World’s Fair and its futuristic and modernist designs should not surprise us at all. Oral Roberts was the most forward thinker and innovator perhaps in the Christian tradition. The connection to World’s Fair is supported by the fact that Oral went to several World’s Fairs in that era. As part of Oral Roberts’ growing literature outreach to the world, Oral sent an evangelistic team to the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels Belgium. The futuristic architecture and global nature of the World’s Fair was so inspirational to Oral that he decided his ministry would be present at every World’s Fair. In 1962, Oral Roberts came to Seattle to do a Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship meeting at the exact same time as the Seattle World’s Fair was going on. There he visited the Fair and no doubt saw the 600 foot Seattle Space Needle towering over the complex.
Another example of World’s Fair architecture is the Prayer Tower. Margaret Gubiack pointed out that the prayer tower may be modeled after the Seattle Space Needle designed by John Graham Jr. for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. There is some resemblance, for sure, but I wasn’t convinced. Turns out, Grubiack was right.
The Broader Architectural Context of ORU
But where did ORU’s unique design ideas come from? Oral Roberts came to Tulsa in 1947. But soon, with his popularity growing and his large ministry staff, Roberts decided to build a massive headquarters building at 12th and Boulder. In 1962, Oral began to shift from tent ministry to world ministry and decided to open an evangelism training school in Tulsa called “The Oral Roberts University School of Evangelism.” He chose a property at 81st and Lewis, which at the time was a cattle ranch way outside of town. Working for Stanfield was a young protégé named Frank Wallace, who eagerly jumped at the chance to design the new facilities. The first building was the Timko Barton building and the two residence halls Braxton and Shakarian, which formed a U-shape campus. The new building contained space for hosting conferences, classrooms and two dorm rooms to house those who would attend the “University of Evangelism.” The design was mid-century modern, but wasn’t overly radical for the time. Today that building is called Timko-Barton and houses the Music department. However, by 1964, the idea of a short-term evangelism training school had shifted to a full-fledged university. Plans for additional academic buildings began to surface in OREA publications. Timko-Barton was tabbed to house the new Graduate School of Theology. The first drawings of the proposed campus in 1964 were radically futuristic. See this cover of an early ORU magazine called “Outreach” featuring a crown-like concept of the prayer tower. The next set of drawings captured some of these same ideas, but now featured a complex of buildings with high white columns. The feature building was triangular in shape (no doubt reflecting the Trinity) and contained the main library and classrooms. The John D. “[Wallace] designed it as a triangle to represent the Holy Trinity, with gold tinting that resembles the color of honey and cream-colored columns that start wide at the top and grow narrow as they come down, like streams of milk pouring off the roof.
Yamasaki's Influence
Yamasaki was the ultimate modernist-humanist. His designs conveyed a sense of possibility and human achievement as his buildings featured tall pillars that reached for the sky. There are two more features in the LRC design that are also similar features of Yamasaki. Compare this with the very similar feature that covers widows of the LRC and dons the outside of the dorms. If this weren’t enough to convince one that Yamasaki was the inspiration for the design of ORU, check out the design of the roofline of one of the McGregor Building at Wayne State built by Yamasaki between 1958-1964. All of these designs were built during the exact same era as Wallace was designing and building ORU.
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tags: #oral #roberts #university #prayer #tower #architecture
