Philcade Building

The Philcade Building is a striking office building in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, standing on the southeast corner of East 5th Street and South Boston Avenue. Designed by architect Leon B. Senter for oil magnate Waite Phillips, construction began in 1929 and was completed in 1931. The building is known for its Art Deco Zigzag architecture and has been a protected landmark since 1986. It was originally named Philcade, derived from the owner's family name. After it was acquired by the Stanolind Company, a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company, it was renamed the Stanolind Building in 1942. Further name changes followed, including the Amoco North Building and the 501 Boston Building, before the original name, Philcade, came back into common use.

The facade of the thirteen-story building, which later received a penthouse, is built mostly of light-colored brick. The lower three floors on the north side are clad in terra-cotta featuring ornamental details in the French Moderne style. These decorations include stylized flora and fauna, Egyptian motifs, and naturalistic forms. The main entrances are flanked by Egyptian-style columns that rise to the second floor, where they end at a horizontal terra-cotta beam bearing the WP monogram with carved vines and fruit. Above the second floor, the tower has an H-shaped floor plan, with the north- and south-facing wings forming a light well that provided ventilation and daylight for the interior offices.

The lavishly designed lobby is especially worth seeing, with marble columns and a gilded stucco frieze on the gallery. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with hand-painted geometric patterns in red, blue, green, purple, and brown, trimmed in gold leaf, with bronze chandeliers hanging down. In 1937, the open light well on the south side was enclosed and replaced by a penthouse that served as the private residence of Waite Phillips and his wife. The penthouse has 23 rooms with hardwood-paneled walls and Art Deco details. In addition, an underground tunnel built beneath 5th Street in 1929 connects the Philcade Building with the Philtower Building across the street. The tunnel, originally used to transport goods, is now closed to the public.