VelvetJ

I'm still a bit unsure as to what the final color scheme the Astoria will be. Help anyone?

Because of the coloring, it looks as if it is made of some sort of weird paper or pieces of cardboard. :-)

An expected disappointment. Mediocrity in terms of architectural design has become part of Houston's culture. Redesigns happen in every city but in Houston....the end results are almost always mediocre at best.

While this latest design is not terrible, I too am disappointed in the lack of crown. As it has already been mentioned, it is not like there is flashy architecture all over Houston (in fact there is hardly any at all....especially in the past 20 years). I know conservatism is a part of Houston's culture. I have been a member here long enough to watch folks applaud a practically pitch black downtown nighttime skyline, and describe the overly chosen box design for this city as sleek and regal whenever a design is dramatically scaled back. Ok. I know we aren't Dallas or Atlanta or L.A., or Miami, or Chicago but Houston could definitely use more asymmetric/cylindrial/crowns in it's skylines.

Speaking of the Mercer ^ , I just saw the new paint job on yesterday and while I still feel it is a scar on Houston's skyline, it looks a little better with the darker color scheme.

I don't think wxman is asking for architectural masterpieces. It's interesting that on this site when critics ask for something as simple as a little character or quality for Houston, it is perceived as asking for billion dollar groundbreaking spectacles.

There is a place for infill but I think because this was Hines, many of us expected something a bit more in terms of distinction from other projects.

I was actually hoping for more of a "art" piece for the museum district, and would have preferred more of a twist. This is not bad at all however.

Howard Huge's last two posts were SPOT ON!

I'm excited about this, but while the design doesn't hurt my feelings, I am still waiting on that spectacularly exciting design that seems to elude Houston. This is not bad nonetheless.

Not really, but incessant, pointless whining on the internet sure has.

And apparently so has following me around this site. Are you sure you want to continue to do that?

ArchFan and Gary have echoed what I have been saying here for years. People would literally travel from around the world at one time to Houston just for the architecture. So to see the designs overall that have been chosen to rise here in the past 20 years have been heartbreaking on some levels. Mediocrity has quietly become a part of Houston's culture.

Like this.....especially for the location.

AND Mister X COMPLETELY misses the point and will get emotional in 5....4...3...2...:-)

Really like this. Hope the project stays as true to the rendering as possible.

WOW, you have no idea how much that post says about you do you Mister X? If ever there was a emotional response to a STRANGER'S opinion, your post was it. :-)

You're just wrong. People can determine 'quality' for themselves. Architects can't please everyone, least of all the chronically pissy.

Chronic 'anything' tends to weaken one's argument. Glad you admit you're chronically pissy, at least. I suppose I could take someone's chronically pissy OPINION a little more seriously if I ever read one post that suggested anything other than COMPLETE bias. All velvet j has proven to me is that some people can't be pleased under any circumstance and that HIS life sucks.

Need proof? Anyone who has nothing better to do at 4:59 a.m. than to bash Houston on the internet has more personal issues than I care to think about.

Yes, I do see a pattern here, and Houston architecture is NOT the problem. With regards to chronic pissyness, I have no doubt that one of velvet j's ex-boyfriends can back me up here, poor slob.

That slant in the design pleases me very much. Hines never disappoints.

"PLENTY"? Yeah, for every "plenty" I could name 2-3 terrible or mediocre at best that has gone up in the past 15 years. Let's face it, the standard for quality architecture in Houston has dropped dramatically and doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. There ARE 1-2 designs coming that I think all of us are excited about, but whether it's admitted to or not, too many of us have been let down too many times since the start of this site.

With regard to chronic pissy-ness at this site....I don't dispute that.

Terrible design for such a high profile area. That should be Houston's new motto.

Another architectural disappointment for Houston....and in such a high profile area nonetheless. Overall, "cutting corners" is now a part of Houston culture and it is no more evident than in architecture designs chosen for projects in the city.

I love the rendering and would love to see the actual building look like that. I am also aware of the fact that Downtown Houston is not Downtown Chicago and the chances of this becoming a beige precast underachievement are much greater here. I will keep a unenthused finger crossed.

AGAIN, honest to God it's the water. It MUST be. TheCompSet, give it up now because it truly is hopeless. Unbelievable how your words were interpreted......... yet not surprising.

Now that is a nice design. House567, I am far from a fan of clear cutting however Houston has too many projects where design has taken a backseat to conservative functionality. Barring the "necessary" clear cutting for the design, I love that it is modern. I say more, more, and more modern designs for this city in every sense of the word.

This isn't a Houston thing, it's an Embassy Suites thing.

While I would not suggest Embassy Suites be recommended for any design awards, I thought the initial rendering was acceptable. I had no complaints. Then the reality of the altered Houston design began to become more clear like so many other structures in our recent past, and I realized it was time to post at this site. There are a number of their hotels that are what I would call acceptable, so while it may indeed be a Embassy Suites thing, for me it is more than just that, it's a Houston thing as well.

My posting here was about the Embassy Suite design because that is the subject of this thread, however those who are familiar with me know what my gripe has been and what it continues to be. Houston, a city once known for it's architecture, to the point of people would travel from around the world to see it, has had a UNUSUAL AMOUNT of mediocre/bad building designs particularly in the past 15-20 years. While other cities have had badly designed buildings to rise in the past 15-20 as well, it has been my observation that my home city seem to have had MORE than it's share. For every badly designed building that has gone up in Chicago, we have had 3. Even in Houston itself, for every MainPlace, we have had 2-3 bad/mediocre one's to counter. Why has this been the case? I'm not sure if I have really gotten a satisfactory answer. It has always seemed to turn into little jabs, or excuses here and there, or long drawn out answeres from a few who apparently love to read their own words.

So, my argument can be nit-picked and taken to extremes by some who live at this sight, but the Embassy Suites in downtown looks as if it will become part of the ongoing saga in Houston. Oh well, until the next 40 story beige stucco box to rise at the corner of Post Oak and Westheimer.

Ha Haaaaaaaaaaa, yet ANOTHER one for Houston. While I love the fact that my years old complaint about designs for Houston are continuously being proven out, I still hate that it's happening .

While it may not be as bad as the infamous 'Mercer', I think I am safe in calling it the 'Mercer' of Downtown.....for now, because a design that is worse could be in the works.

And while I have read the expected old reliable responses to bad designs in this city of "just be greatful something was built", or "a better design would have been more costly, which justifies this design", I still have to go back to the question I have been asking for years at this point. Would this building have even been CONSIDERED for downtown Chicago? Even CONSIDERED for Buckhead Atlanta? Even CONSIDERED for Downtown Los Angeles? How about even considered for Downtown Dallas? Yet, here it is in Houston. Not Tulsa. Not Corpus Christi. Not Downtown Amarillo. It sits in the downtown of the 4th largest city in the country. What is it about our city in particular that developers believe that such designs are ok for us and not say..... Chicago? Seriously. I suppose it all goes back to the tone that is set in this city, that apparently says such things are ok. WHY IS THAT?

The Niche, to be quite honest I'm surprised you didn't somehow find a way to defend this thing . You know I love u.

*note* I am in no way suggesting other cities do not have ANY badly designed buildings, nor that every single structure that rises in Houston should be a billion dollar spectacle. Oh, and nor am I suggesting every single building in Houston is mediocre like this Embassy Suites thing. I have to cover all of the extremes to try to be as clear as possible.

I am so friggin excited about this building. The skin gives me pleasure. I do wish it were about 800ft but 630ft will do fine. I still could have seen this building in Greenway Plaza however.