My final post for the architect Christian Porzamparc is about the Great Theatre of Casablanca in Morocco. Construction for this building started in 2018 and is directed by Porzamparc. It’s estimated cost is upwards of 150 million dollars. It is located in Mohammed V Square and is aimed at attracting tourists as well as locals. It will become the biggest theatre in Africa once it is officially inaugurated. It includes a very modern design with sharp edges and curvature with a very new feel to the inside and outside. This is just another one of Porzamparc’s many futuristic and unique designs for a theatre, similar to the Cidade Das Artes in Brazil.

For my 3rd blog of Christian Portzamparc, I decided to cover his design of the Dior retail store in South Korea. The store was finished in 2015 and is located in Seoul, South Korea. The store is very unique from all the other surrounding stores, and in general is a very unique design. It’s curvature and sail-like layers gives it a very modern and futuristic vibe. Since it is a store for luxury items, a modern feel sort of matches what the business does and sells. The store also includes a gallery and cafe that overlooks the surrounding area.

The architect I decided to cover is Christian Portzamparc because I liked how unique all his projects were from each other. This building is Cidade Das Artes which is a theatre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Construction started in 2003 but the building wasn’t officially inaugurated until 2013. I personally enjoy the outer design of the theatre with the web-like pillars and incorporation of sharp edges and curves. I also like how the building is partially surrounded by water. Although the building started construction in 2003, the building is still very modern even in today’s standards. It is the largest modern concert hall in South America.

My 2nd blog post for Christian Portzamparc is about the Hilton hotel he designed in France. It’s a Hilton Garden Inn that is in the middle of Massy, France which is a suburb of Paris. The unique, geometric shaped tower includes 152 guestrooms and is right next to a high-speed rail station. This connects the hotel and city to other French cities and attractions, including Paris. I personally find the shape interesting and I like the offest gray and white panels on the building’s sides and the unsymmetrical windows that are in a random pattern.

For my third blog post I will be discussing the Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa, OK. This hotel has some major history behind it, starting with being originally built in 1925. Many famous people have stayed here, including John F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth, and Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Bob Seger, and more. In the 1980’s, an attempted renovation started but never finished and it left the hotel unoccupied and torn apart. It was again renovated in 2003 and was completed in 2009. Many of the main parts of the hotel were kept and redone in its original form from 1925 like the lobby and its chandeliers.

I first visited this building in 5th grade on a downtown tour with my class while it was in the process of being renovated. I have visited one other time after it was done being renovated and I was impressed by how different it looked from before and how much nicer it was.  It is one of downtown Tulsa’s most famous and unique establishments and has been for quite some time.

For my second blog post, I will be discussing the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN. I have personally been here many times, mainly as a child, and have enjoyed it everytime. I have family in St. Paul, MN and we try to go to the mall when we visit them. As a kid I always found the building so interesting, mainly because of how massive it is and how many floors there are. Not to mention the full amusement park in the middle of the mall. This mall is the one of the hallmarks of American malls and it is still being added to. They are working on making a seperate building for a water amusement park and renovating parts of the original mall. It can get very busy during the weekends and holidays but it is still an enjoyable experience. I particularly like the full glass roof above the amusement park, which lets in plenty of natural light. I looks forward to seeing it again in the near future.

BOK Center, Location: Tulsa OK, Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli

For this blog I will discuss the importance of the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK to me. The BOK Center was opened in late August of 2008 and has been one of Tulsa’s most well known buildings in Tulsa since.

I was born and raised in Tulsa and was about 10 when I first heard about the construction of this building. Ever since the initial designs were shown to the public, it made me very excited to go see a concert or sporting event here and see what all the hype was about. One big reason I was ready to see this building finished was because it would be the new home of the Tulsa Oilers. Before this was constructed, the Oilers played in Tulsa convention center, which was outdated and too small for big events. My family and I would go see Oilers’ games about once a month and enjoyed it very much. Once we heard about a new facility being constructed for bigger events and to be the home of the Tulsa Oilers, we were ecstatic. Not only is the facility much bigger than the convention center, it was much cleaner and nicer. This meant that concerts and events could be held here that never could be held at the convention center.

The first event I went to see at the BOK was a concert by Fleetwood Mac, and I was not dissappointed, by the building or the concert. Ever since I have loved going there and took every oppurtunity I could to go to an event in the BOK Center, including to see the Oilers. It was and still is huge for publicity in Tulsa and helped revitalize the surrounding downtown area. This coupled with the Oneok baseball stadium that was constructed in later years has had major impacts on the revival of downtown Tulsa, which was continuously deteriorating and driving people to south Tulsa and to surrounding suburbs.

For my last blog, I will be discussing my childhood elementary school, Darnaby Elementary in Tulsa, OK. Darnaby is a part of the Union Public School System and has been around since 1980 and is named after James R. Darnaby who was involved in Union’s board of education for many years prior. The school is in the same neighborhood as me, so I have been able to see it continue to change and update as I got older. I have many good and some bad experiences here but overall positive memories.

I remember how big I used to think the building was along with its gym, cafeteria, playground, and hallways when I was attending. I have visited again since while I was about 13-14 and I realized just how much smaller the building actually is on the inside vs how I remembered it as a kid. There used to be a small courtyard garden in the middle of the school, and it might still be there, but I am unable to find any pictures or information on if it’s still around. It was always really cool and relaxing to walk to class and see birds, squirrels, and plants in the middle of the school, surrounded by glass windows. I am glad that I had the opportunity to attend such a great school during my childhood and maybe one day my kids will get that chance too.