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| CityPlex Towers | |
|---|---|
| Name | CityPlex Towers |
| Location | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States |
| Status | Completed |
| Start date | 1977 |
| Completion date | 1979 |
| Opened | 1979 |
| Building type | Office, medical |
| Height | 648 ft (198 m) – tallest tower |
| Floor count | 60 |
| Architect | Minoru Yamasaki (design influence attributed) |
| Developer | Oral Roberts University (developer/owner association) |
CityPlex Towers
CityPlex Towers is a multi-tower complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma, developed in the late 1970s as an adjunct to a religious university campus. The complex functions as an office, healthcare, and commercial hub linked to a university campus and a distinct evangelical ministry. It occupies a prominent place in regional urban development and has connections to high-profile religious figures, architectural movements, and media narratives.
The complex comprises several high-rise structures adjacent to a prominent campus and a notable cathedral complex associated with an evangelical institution. The complex's skyline presence has been discussed alongside regional landmarks such as Philbrook Museum of Art, BOK Tower, Cain's Ballroom, Gilcrease Museum, and transportation nodes like Tulsa International Airport. Urban studies and preservation conversations reference comparisons with works by architects such as Minoru Yamasaki, Philip Johnson, Eero Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and developers linked to projects near Guthrie Green, Blue Dome District, Route 66 corridors, and riverfront revitalization in Tulsa.
The project was commissioned during a period of expansion by an evangelical university led by a charismatic founder with ties to national religious broadcasting circles and ministries such as Oral Roberts Ministry, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker, and institutions like Regent University. Construction occurred amid late-1970s real estate development trends parallel to projects such as World Trade Center (1973–2001), Seagram Building, and regional towers built during the energy boom associated with companies like Phillips Petroleum and Williams Companies. Financial and operational histories intersect with legal and organizational matters involving nonprofits and philanthropic foundations similar to others scrutinized in cases involving Federal Election Commission-related reporting and high-profile investigations into televangelist operations.
Design elements reflect late Modernist and New Formalist influences that critics compare to works by Minoru Yamasaki, Philip Johnson, Paul Rudolph, Edward Durell Stone, and complexes like Gateway Arch-era civic planning. The tallest tower's vertical profile and façade treatments invite comparison to skyscrapers such as One Shell Plaza, Bank of America Tower (Tulsa), and midwestern high-rises designed during the 1960s–1980s. Landscape and plaza treatments reference precedents like Pritzker Pavilion-era public space design, while interior atria and lobby schemes evoke features found in buildings by firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Kohn Pedersen Fox.
The complex houses a mix of clinical facilities, corporate offices, retail spaces, and event venues. Medical practices and specialty clinics operating within the towers align with regional healthcare providers similar to Saint Francis Health System, Ascension Health, Mayo Clinic, and outpatient networks comparable to facilities operated by HCA Healthcare. Office tenants have included nonprofit organizations, professional service firms, and ministries reminiscent of organizations such as Samaritan's Purse, Habitat for Humanity International, and denominational headquarters. Conference and educational spaces have been used for events tied to religious networks like Charismatic Movement, Pentecostalism, and interdenominational conferences involving figures comparable to Billy Graham and institutions such as Fuller Theological Seminary.
Ownership ties link the complex to an evangelical university and its governing corporation, with governance models comparable to university-affiliated real estate holdings like those of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and private institutions such as Liberty University. Management practices have included partnerships with regional property management firms and leasing strategies that mirror techniques used by commercial real estate entities like CBRE Group, JLL (company), and Cushman & Wakefield. Financial stewardship and oversight have been subjects of reporting in the context of nonprofit asset management and board governance frameworks informed by standards from entities such as the Internal Revenue Service and nonprofit accreditation practices.
The towers and associated campus have featured in local and national media narratives about televangelism, evangelical architecture, and urban development. Coverage by outlets akin to The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME (magazine), and regional papers like Tulsa World has examined the complex in stories about charismatic leaders, religious broadcasting, and legal controversies comparable to high-profile cases involving Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker. The site appears in tours, photographic studies, and documentaries that explore religious landscapes alongside works about American evangelicalism, televangelism, and influential personalities such as Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Creflo Dollar.
Category:Buildings and structures in Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:Skyscrapers in Oklahoma