I’ve always been captivated by the unconventional, the visionary, and the beautifully strange—and no architect embodies those qualities quite like Bruce Goff. His work speaks to me not just as an admirer of design, but as someone who values creativity that refuses to be boxed in by tradition. Goff’s use of unexpected materials—coal, glass cullet, feathers—and his imaginative, almost dreamlike structures make me feel like architecture can transcend mere function and become something poetic, deeply personal, and alive.
So, yes, I love Bruce Goff’s architecture – it’s fanciful, strange, utilitarian, drab, dramatic – and I’m just starting my list of adjectives.
Since I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, I feel a special connection to Bruce Goff. Even though he was born in Kansas, his long association with Oklahoma—especially through his work at the University of Oklahoma and the unforgettable Bavinger House—makes him feel like a kindred spirit. It inspires me to think that someone from this place, someone shaped by the same winds and skies, could create art that shook the foundations of architectural convention and opened new realms of possibility.
But what I’m sure of is that it’s not and never has been easy to explain to permitting and zoning people. I think that’s why so many of the wilder architectural experiments have been built out in the country, far from city limits. Was it necessary to obtain a permit to build the Bavinger House built on farmland northeast of Norman, Oklahoma. Given that the main design looks like a cross between a Fibonacci sequence, a spiral, rock candy stuck on long thin wires, and some sort of medieval haystack, I doubt it. It was a round structure with part of it subterranean – really amazing and fascinating, but I think that it was designed to essentially self-destruct by auto-disintegration, and that’s exactly what happened. I could provide the details, but it’s easy enough to look them up. I do remember seeing the structure when I was young, but after it became impossibly structurally unsound, it was demolished. It’s a shame, but it might have been rather horrendous to try to keep it from falling apart. Like other Oklahoma home-growns, the cottonwoods, some just start shedding limbs and rotting from inside out once they hit a certain age. Not every tree is a sequoia.
But really – take a good look at the Bavinger House (photo taken before it crumbled into ruin and had to be demolished). How do you keep those rocks suspended in air??
The Bavinger House (before it was demolished) in Norman, Oklahoma
On the other end of the spectrum is the Spotlight Theatre building on Riverside Drive between the 11th Street Bridge and 14th Street. It’s a plain white blocky Bauhaus-esque building with an amazing circular window that is filled with rectangular panes of stained glass, and then rectangular windows and lights along the building. With the paucity of windows, it does have something of a bunker appearance, and it’s hard to imagine really enjoying being inside since there might be illumination coming from the panes of stained glass in the round window, and the too-narrow-for-escape, but literally no view. I guess any and all air flow would come from the HVAC system, and ingress / egress would be in doors. There must be many doors in the building. Otherwise, who on earth would issue such a dangerous building any permits?? This is particularly the case since it is a theatre, and appears to have a seating capacity of a hundred or so. Originally, it was designed as an personal home. There again, I have to wonder about permits. Each room is supposed to have two methods of escape. I just do not see how this building could satisfy such a requirement. That’s not to say it’s not a cool building. It’s an amazing building and I have taken many, many photos of it. The building behind the theatre was also designed by Goff and it’s definitely more traditional with windows. It is equally Bauhausian.
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| The Spotlight Theatre on Riverside Drive in Tulsa, Oklahoma |
The depth and breadth of Goff’s vision are amazing, and I often wonder how he was able to be so prolific and also to be so dramatically divergent in his styles. Some of the influences seem to be consistently recognizable – Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonio Gaudi come to mind. There are also elements of Le Corbusier (thinking of the Riverside Drive buildings in Tulsa).
I wonder if Goff kept notebooks, sketches, journals, and records of his ideas. They would be very interesting. I just did a bit of digging and yes, Goff’s archives are held by The Art Institute of Chicago and they are impressive:
• 200 linear feet (263 boxes), 12 portfolios, 7 oversize portfolios, 12 tubes, and flatfile materials
It’s a shame that they’re not at the University of Oklahoma, but then again, he was fired and was not treated very well at all toward the end. I have read conflicting accounts.
Five Iconic Bruce Goff Works in Oklahoma
The Bavinger House (Norman, OK) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavinger_House)
A spiral structure built from native stone, glass cullet, and suspended platforms. It exemplified Goff’s organic architecture and whimsical material use. Though it was tragically demolished, it remains legendary.
Ledbetter House (Norman, OK) (https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2010/08/15/historic-home-in-norman-earns-national-acclaim/61296204007/)
Located near the University of Oklahoma, this is one of Goff’s preserved masterpieces. It features cantilevered roof elements and a dramatic geometric layout. It is still a private residence and a symbol of Goff’s lasting presence in Norman.
Prichard House (Oklahoma City, OK) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pricilla_Myers_House)
Also known as the Joe D. Price House, this residence has been described as a fusion of Eastern influences and American modernism. The structure is known for its richly detailed textures and luxurious materials.
Shin'enKan (Bartlesville, OK) (https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=SH027)
Commissioned by collector Joe D. Price, this residence and museum incorporated Japanese aesthetics. Though it burned in 1996, it remains one of Goff's most spiritually rich and visually poetic designs.
Boston Avenue Methodist Church (Tulsa, OK) (https://tulsaworld.com/archive/bruce-goffs-boston-avenue-church/article_46d6ff6c-02d4-578b-8313-2205df88ff3b.html)
Though designed primarily by Adah Robinson with Goff’s involvement, this Art Deco marvel stands as one of Oklahoma’s most iconic churches. Goff’s early input helped shape its bold verticality and ornamentation.
Understanding the Whole Person
Although I've read articles, walked by houses and building designed by him, and taken many photos, I still do not feel as though I understand Bruce Goff, the person. The more I study his work, the more intrigued I am. I think it would be worth a trip to the Chicago Art Institute, and definitely worth reading more about the people he grew up with, worked with, and dreamed with as they commissioned his work.