sevfiv Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 More about the mural's future:With the clock ticking toward demolition and promising deals falling through, time seemed to be running out for Southwestern muralist Peter Hurd's massive, romantic depiction of ranch life in the Texas Medical Center's old Prudential Life Insurance Building.But even as workers stripped asbestos from the doomed building at 1100 Holcombe Blvd., a wealthy benefactor acting on behalf of tiny Artesia, N.M., — a town in which Hurd once had a studio - saved the day.Ultimately, the curved 16-foot-by-46-foot ranch scene, valued at around $4 million, will be the centerpiece of the town's new public library.In coming weeks, workers will coat the painting's back with resin and fiberglass, then surround it with massive trusses. In December or January, they will roll the mural - now weighing 13 tons - from the building, hoist it onto a truck with a crane and drive it to Midland-Odessa, where the painting temporarily will be stored.[...]"The mural just sort of fell into our lap," said Hayley Klein, executive director of the Artesia Chamber of Commerce and a member of the library's building committee. "It's really a great opportunity for the community, M.D. Anderson and the art."Hayley said Artesia, population 11,000, expects to let bids for its new library next summer. The new building will be specifically designed to accommodate the curved mural.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7274348.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 They should leave the building there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 The Rice Design Alliance is reporting that M.D. Anderson has begun tearing down the former Prudential Life Insurance building at 1100 Holcombe St. in the Med Center.http://swamplot.com/report-m-d-anderson-begins-demolishing-med-center-icon/2011-01-14/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 (edited) Swamplot has updated.. the building isn't quite dead yet. "being demolished today is a “coach canopy” outside the structure, cancer center spokesperson Laura Sussman tells Swamplot. Removal of the canopy will allow workers to extract a large mural from inside the space before the building is demolished.""couldn’t confirm when demolition of the 18-story former Prudential Life Insurance Building would take place, but a source tells Swamplot it’s been scheduled for the middle of February" Edited January 15, 2011 by Highway6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photolitherland Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Please tell me a worthy tower will replace this beautiful building, I really hope it doesnt just become a parking lot or parking garage. I was driving around the area just south of TMC across the bayou and Jesus, Id never seen so much parking in my entire life. I was driving around there at night and I got lost in all those parking lots for about 20 minutes, couldnt find a way out of it. The last thing TMC needs is more parking, its ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Another update from Swamplot -Zakheim, the mural's conservator, was fired by Linbeck January 20th. Linbeck is also facing nearing deadlines for demolition. Something weird is going on here - I wonder what Zakheim did (or didn't do) to warrant a termination..http://swamplot.com/will-m-d-andersons-contractor-bungle-the-largest-fresco-rescue-ever/2011-02-01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 (edited) Please tell me a worthy tower will replace this beautiful building, I really hope it doesnt just become a parking lot or parking garage. I was driving around the area just south of TMC across the bayou and Jesus, Id never seen so much parking in my entire life. I was driving around there at night and I got lost in all those parking lots for about 20 minutes, couldnt find a way out of it. The last thing TMC needs is more parking, its ridiculous.It will become one of two things:1. surface parking lot2. another bland boring box for which houston is known. Edited February 2, 2011 by LTAWACS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 It's coming down little by little. "> 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 So sad... wish it had not suffered this fate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wernicke Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Parking within the TMC core is extremely profitable. Standard TMC rates get to $12 at just over 2 hours, which is as long as any doctor visit takes in the TMC. I'm sure MD Anderson will add a new building on the site with a large garage. Hopefully they integrate the adjacent rail stop thoughtfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readam Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Parking within the TMC core is extremely profitable. Standard TMC rates get to $12 at just over 2 hours, which is as long as any doctor visit takes in the TMC. I'm sure MD Anderson will add a new building on the site with a large garage. Hopefully they integrate the adjacent rail stop thoughtfully.Shamrock Hilton, Prudential Bldg. the icons always seem to come down in Houston. As stated before it is truly sad to see the building being taken apart. My brother was able to get some of the marble and granite that was taken down several years ago from the building. Too bad they couldn't salvage those slabs before they implode the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinite_jim Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 What I loved most about this design was the exterior landscape, especially the fountain. Too bad it's suffered such a common fate among older buildings in this city. No respect.I would like to think the building materials would be of value. Hopefully some parts of the old girl have been salvaged. I mentioned before, my father worked in that bldg. many years ago. I remember looking out of one of the office windows to the swimming pool, far below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 No, it will not become parking. The site will just be landscaped over until funding is restored for further UT expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Totally agree with the Niche. UT MD Anderson only looked at converting it for medical space. However, professional office space is in high demand in the TMC. Additionally, housing is greatly needed for the thousands of students, interns, and residents who call the TMC home for a few years. I would have liked to have seen the old Prudential turned into an apartment tower, becoming the second one operated by TMC (Favrot Tower). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I bet it won't take long for something to appear, after demolition. Valuable land, indeed...I am very impressed with Houston's Medical Center. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pleak Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Any news on this? We took my son to TCH yesterday and had a good view of this building right outside our window. (Sorry - no camera) It looked completely gutted. But there was not a single worker in sight in the building or around it. Are they going to implode it or knock it down piece by piece? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Swamplot is reporting that they will now implode the building before the end of the year. They stated that manually demolishing the building would be too loud and would result in poor air quality for too long, thus disturbing patients and employees of TMC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 This topic did not move to New Posts yesterday because of server problems. Let's try this again.I'd like to see the implosion of the Pru if anybody hears any scheduling information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Me too. I will so be there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 http://arch-ive.org/news/?p=58Demolition day for the Houston Main Building (HMB) will be Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012.But don’t make plans to come to campus to watch the implosion, which will take place after the sun comes up that morning. It’s a serious construction activity that requires a lot of attention to safety – for our patients, the public and ourselves.“Implosions are loud and create a lot of dust, and there will be a lot of street closures,” says John Chachere, project director, Capital Planning and Management. “But safety is the most important thing.. For all these reasons, we’re asking that employees not come to campus unless they’re scheduled to work.”Chachere points out that the exclusion zone – the area within which no one may be outside during the implosion process – is large. “There’s not any place you can go to view this thing and really see what’s going on.”The implosion will be videotaped, so everyone will have ample opportunity to watch it later.[...]After it’s all gone, the site will be restored to a park-like area for everybody to enjoy.A highlight of the park-like area will be the “Wave of Life” statue that’s graced the front of HMB since the 1950s.Contractors will move the statue to a concrete pad at the west end of the Duncan Building prior to the implosion. The statue will return to its original location after all the debris is hauled away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 http://arch-ive.org/news/?p=58So, what's the best, closest, unsecured vantage point to watch the implosion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 So, what's the best, closest, unsecured vantage point to watch the implosion?I'll be searching for that...it'll be tricky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Here is the safety perimeter:http://www.arch-ive.org/prudential/safetyperimeter_prudential.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 (edited) The Prudential Building (Currently MD Anderson's Houston Main Building) is scheduled to be demolished on January 8th. Here's an article from Swamp Lot, and here's the safety perimeter map. I can see the Prudential building clearly from my lab at TCH but I'm inside the security perimeter so unfortunately I can't watch it from my lab. Does anybody have any good ideas about where the best place to watch the demolition will be? Edited November 15, 2011 by Jax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Note combined topics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Oops I didn't think of looking in this thread before posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 The Prudential Building (Currently MD Anderson's Houston Main Building) is scheduled to be demolished on January 8th. Here's an article from Swamp Lot, and here's the safety perimeter map. I can see the Prudential building clearly from my lab at TCH but I'm inside the security perimeter so unfortunately I can't watch it from my lab. Does anybody have any good ideas about where the best place to watch the demolition will be? Why won't you be allowed to be in your lab on that day? Are TCH employees banned from entereing their own building? I have not heard that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 That's what it said. Nobody is allowed in any of the buildings within the security perimeter. Now whether they'll actually enforce that is another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I looked at the safety notice again and it seems like it actually says the nobody is allowed outside in the safety perimeter zone on demolition day but, but it seems like maybe we can get away with being inside the building if we enter before the perimeter is closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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