Along with the Philbrook Villa, and another building commissioned by Waite Phillips located in New Mexico, Delk designed another building for Phillips. Delk felt that the Philtower was his greatest work that was not meant to be someone’s home. This building does not share the same Spanish influences seen in his other works. The style is described as English Gothic. I was unaware this building was designed by Delk, but I recognized the beautiful shingle roof immediately. My father, who is an electrician, had the opportunity to do light installations in the building. I imagine he is unaware of the historical value of the building, but I remember even as a child feeling pride in my dad getting to work in such a cool architectural work.

Another one of Delk’s most famous works is La Quinta. It is a Spanish style mansion, so it is clear that this was one of Delk’s trademarks in his works. Delk won an Outstanding Architectural award for his La Quinta design. This building, like the Philbrook Villa is now a museum. I believe there could be little more gratifying things to an architect, than having your works immortalized as museums so they can be respected for decades or hopefully even centuries to come.

The framework of the villa is steel. The walls are made of reinforced concrete. The roofs are made of Italian style tiles and stained glass is prevalent. The floors are furnished with fine wood, and marble and silk decorate the interior. Some parts of the ceiling have even been painting in a way that resembled the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Another interesting touch given to the landscape is the inclusion of a “rock garden”. The rocks located among the plants are there intentionally to help make for a more beautiful image.

The museum now offers a wide range of courses focused on the arts. Studios were implemented in the expansions so that art could not only be observed in the building but also created. The museum has been a lasting influence on all of Tulsa by exposing people to different cultures. Since the creation of the Museum’s website, more projects have gone underway and a second center has been established for the purpose of showcasing art, in the nearby Brady District. The museum, as well as those continuing its work have done well at exposing Oklahomans and those that visit to culture and supporting artists.

Edward Delk worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on multiple occasions. the two designed a personal home in Kansas City, and began a project to build a church there as well. However, Wright did not agree with city standards and left the project. Delk continued, following city standards, and finished the church. How incredible it must have been for Delk to work with one of the most decorated architects in history. It is possible Delk was inspired by Wright’s preference for long, flat buildings as opposed to skyscrapers, and incorporated this idea in the Philbrook Villa. I also wonder if Delk gained or lost respect, or was indifferent about Wright’s refusal to comply.

Edward Delk studied at the University of Pennsylvania. Later on he would visit Greece and Rome to study the styles of buildings. After his time in the military, he chose to stay in London in order to attend the University of London, studying city planning. Delk began his work on plaza buildings, and these buildings are said to reflect the Spanish and Mexican style that had influenced Delk. Although he helped design buildings around the world, his works were mostly focused in Kansas City, where his business was located, and Oklahoma.

I remember visiting the museum when I was young and being blown away by its beauty. The building in itself is a spectacle, but I especially appreciated the well-worth effort put into the landscaping. Very rarely do you see such a classical building in Oklahoma. The works of art inside are incredible, one statue of an Indian hunting a buffalo specifically caught my interest, but you will miss much of the art if you do not remind yourself to slow down because you will be caught up in the excellence of the building. I never saw the original as the building and surrounding area has gone through multiple expansions since its construction. However this building still feels as if it must be older than it really is. This is likely because of my small exposure to buildings of this nature, but the classical style of Philbrook is unlike any other you will find in Oklahoma.

Aside from being a home, Phillips hosted receptions and welcomed friends to come visit the beauty. In 1938, Phillips and his wife decided to move out of the villa. They donated the building and land to the city of Tulsa for the purpose of becoming a museum. Phillips wanted the museum to be full of art, especially that of Native American culture. Phillips also payed for the renovations that transformed his former home into a museum. He wanted the property open to the public and still is to this day, as I have visited on multiple occasions. I appreciate the sentiment of wanting others to experience the beauty of his former home and making it a place of learning and art.

In 1926, Edward Buehler Delk was hired by Waite Phillips to construct an Italian style villa after recently visiting Italy. Herbert Hare was hired as the landscape architect. The building has 72 rooms and the garden was originally built on 23 acres. The furnishings of the villa alone cost $1.2 million, and this was back in the 1920’s. Phillips was able to commission the extravagant home due to the success of his oil business.