project team
suite t, llc
lingo construction
crafton tull
obelisk engineering
weimer engineering
miller pro audio

awards
2018 | AIA Central States Historic Preservation  Award
2018 | ULI Distinguished Merit Award
2017 | AIA Oklahoma Historic Preservation Merit Award
2017 | Preservation OK Urban  Historic Preservation Award

press
2017 | newsok.com Oklahoma Architects Recognize Peers

Originally designed by famed Architect W. Scott Dunne in 1937, the Art Deco Tower Theater with its landmark neon sign is located along an original stretch of Route 66.  The theater was among the first suburban theaters in Oklahoma City.  The ornate auditorium had a complete working stage, pipe organ, and scarlet waterfall stage curtains.

The facade was meticulously refurbished with restored or new glass, glazed tiles, Vitrolite, and painted wood trim to match historic profiles. The historic neon sign was brought back to life and the original theater entry was recreated, complete with a reconstructed ticket booth that had been demolished sometime in the building’s history. Terrazzo tile was installed in the original patterns based on historic photography.

The existing theater ceiling was in extreme disrepair to the point of causing safety issues. A Leica ScanStation C10 machine was used to carefully scan the ceiling so it could be built back to its exact historic shape and quality using new materials. Original theater seats in the auditorium balcony were restored and the original film projectors were kept intact.

photo
© joseph mills