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Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel


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By L.M. SIXEL

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Houston celebrated with fireworks when it kicked off the expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center and construction of the attached 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston hotel four years ago.

The 700,000-square-foot addition, which nearly doubled the center's exhibit space, would finally make Houston a player in the lucrative convention industry. That, in turn, would create jobs and generate other economic benefits, city leaders promised at the groundbreaking.

But was the city's investment in the center really worth it

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The Chronicle has published a lot of ignorant articles over its history, and this one has to be near the top of the scale of ignorance. The addition to the convention center was not completed until late 2003 and they put out data showing attendance at convention center events dropped between 1999 and 2003, BEFORE the addition was even completed. And from that they conclude that the expansion of the convention center was not worth the expense. Sheesh. Do these people even read the garbage they write?

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Well in all fairness, the article is just reporting on a study done by the Brookings Institution, and I don't see where they are concluding that the expansion wasn't worth the expense. Regardless of any conclusions, it is a valid question if convention center expansions are a worthwhile use of taxpayer money. I can't see blaming the Chronicle for that.

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Most big conventions are booked several years in advance. Conventions being held now may have been scheduled in 2002 or 2003. As the study mentioned, it's not unusual for it to take several years after construction of a new or expanded facility is completed before business really ramps up. I still say give the GRB time. There are conventions that haven't been to Houston in over 10 years because the GRB was too small that will likely come back.

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Well in all fairness, the article is just reporting on a study done by the Brookings Institution, and I don't see where they are concluding that the expansion wasn't worth the expense.  Regardless of any conclusions, it is a valid question if convention center expansions are a worthwhile use of taxpayer money.  I can't see blaming the Chronicle for that.

Read the article:

"But was the city's investment in the center really worth it

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  • 2 years later...

I don't need to post a picture (actually, I'm not sure how to do it, ha ha), but I'm of the opinion that the George R. Brown Convention Center is an ugly, ugly building and I would like very much if it disappeared. Just the goofy, childish colors are enough to bother me. Bright white, blue and red? It reminds me of a giant toy tugboat. Even if they just redid the external color scheme, I would feel a lot better. Yeah, the new park will be great, and people can go there and enjoy Discovery Green and gaze in horror at the great white thingie, the gigantic styrofoam ice chest.

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I don't need to post a picture (actually, I'm not sure how to do it, ha ha), but I'm of the opinion that the George R. Brown Convention Center is an ugly, ugly building and I would like very much if it disappeared. Just the goofy, childish colors are enough to bother me. Bright white, blue and red? It reminds me of a giant toy tugboat. Even if they just redid the external color scheme, I would feel a lot better. Yeah, the new park will be great, and people can go there and enjoy Discovery Green and gaze in horror at the great white thingie, the gigantic styrofoam ice chest.

Remember when it was built, that area was vacant. I think the bright colors helped attract folks and say "Hey, I'm here." I have been thinking the same thing as you about the colors and Tonka Toy looks of the place. We really do need a class convention center, like the one in DC or even Javitz in NYC.

Jacob Javitz center, NYC

JacobJavitz.jpg

DC Convention Center, Washington, DC

55150539239411cd19c52239445ef2b1.jpg

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Personally I've always had an affinity for the GRB. It always looked like a cross between a giant Lego set and Centre Georges Pompidou.

It's not the best conference center in the world, no, but it's an OK citizen for its class.

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I don't need to post a picture (actually, I'm not sure how to do it, ha ha), but I'm of the opinion that the George R. Brown Convention Center is an ugly, ugly building and I would like very much if it disappeared. Just the goofy, childish colors are enough to bother me. Bright white, blue and red? It reminds me of a giant toy tugboat. Even if they just redid the external color scheme, I would feel a lot better. Yeah, the new park will be great, and people can go there and enjoy Discovery Green and gaze in horror at the great white thingie, the gigantic styrofoam ice chest.

If the GRB is the most "horrorific" building you've seen in Houston, then I'd say we're in pretty good shape. Architectural design is always subj to opinions.

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Personally I've always had an affinity for the GRB. It always looked like a cross between a giant Lego set and Centre Georges Pompidou.

It's not the best conference center in the world, no, but it's an OK citizen for its class.

It is a convention center, boxy and versatile. Really no different than the Reliant Center minus a few curves.

It serves its purpose and keeps the architecture simple. A new coat a paint or a power wash every few years is all it needs.

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I've always liked it. Hasn't it been mentioned who designed it on HAIF before?

I'm sure it has been mentioned maybe a moderator an dig it up somewhere?

The GRB was originally designed to look like a ship. There are many articles that explain the nautical appearance, smoke stacks, etc.

One weekend I was with a group of people coming back from the International Festival and I filmed the construction for about 10 minutes. I thought someone might care to see one day? :lol:

Here is the the real irony, just last night on channel 20 one of the last Robocop movies did quite a bit of filming of the interior shortly after completion. I can't recall the year of the movie late 80's? but it was nice enough to be worthy of being filmed (even though it was supposed ot be Detroit).

So guess what your wish came true because in the film it gets all smashed up thanks to ROBO ! :lol:

robocop.jpg

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I have always had these feelings about the GRB. Inside and out. The reaffirmations are even worse when I see the park u/c in front of it. I always thought it would grow on me but the more I see it I always wonder what was the architect thinking with such a high profile building. The building is not even forward thinking for the year it was built in and I never understood those red circle vents on the outside of it. The most frighteningthing aspect is how they cloned the original design just a few years ago.

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Personally I've always had an affinity for the GRB. It always looked like a cross between a giant Lego set and Centre Georges Pompidou.

It's not the best conference center in the world, no, but it's an OK citizen for its class.

I'm with Ian.

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Personally I've always had an affinity for the GRB. It always looked like a cross between a giant Lego set and Centre Georges Pompidou.

It's not the best conference center in the world, no, but it's an OK citizen for its class.

What fun!

Every example of an architectural 'type' goes through that awkward phase - and that's where GRB is now. Mid-80's "post modern" is at its nadir of popularity. It's too old to be chic, and too new to be retro.

Regardless, it's not going away soon, so we may as well like it.

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I used to really dislike the thing, but I have to admit it has grown on me to the point where I would consider it almost tolerable, if for no other reason than it is such a 1980s period piece. If it were bricked up it would look like a Super-Target, so I'm not sure that would be a good idea. Modernization rarely works.

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I'm sure it has been mentioned maybe a moderator an dig it up somewhere?

The GRB was originally designed to look like a ship. There are many articles that explain the nautical appearance, smoke stacks, etc.

One weekend I was with a group of people coming back from the International Festival and I filmed the construction for about 10 minutes. I thought someone might care to see one day? :lol:

Here is the the real irony, just last night on channel 20 one of the last Robocop movies did quite a bit of filming of the interior shortly after completion. I can't recall the year of the movie late 80's? but it was nice enough to be worthy of being filmed (even though it was supposed ot be Detroit).

So guess what your wish came true because in the film it gets all smashed up thanks to ROBO ! :lol:

robocop.jpg

Funny. It (RC3) was on last night.

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I'm glad there are others who agree. For what it's worth, I think it's fine as a convention center (function), and I know it's not going away anytime soon, but it's just so damned ugly. It's an important building and it's done good things for the city, but I'm sure as shoot not gonna fall into the "may as well like it" trap. Subdude's "1980s period piece" comment made sense to me, though.

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I still kinda like the GRB.

Its style is certainly unique, and it is difficult to make such a large building appealing in any way that will stand the test of time.

If you start changing it now, you will likely have to continually change it as trends change with time.

Alternatively, you can accept it for what it is (an extremely functional building that is unique and not unattractive to everyone), and wait for history to accept its real value

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consideration must be given to the time when it was built. We were struggling with an economic downturn and funds for projects like this were limited. The Wortham is also from the same era. I know the City wanted a world class facility but had to make concessions on its exterior which is why it is so plain. People complained about that 20 yrs ago too.

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What fun!

Every example of an architectural 'type' goes through that awkward phase - and that's where GRB is now. Mid-80's "post modern" is at its nadir of popularity. It's too old to be chic, and too new to be retro.

Regardless, it's not going away soon, so we may as well like it.

Now that I think about it, if you stand in front looking straight at it. The GRB appears as the movie set of Titanic as it was being built in Mexico I think off Baja Peninsula. So now we have a duplicate Titanic as tourist spot.

titanic_set_photos.jpg

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THANK YOU on that one!

That whole side of downtown is resembling a huge prison - red-brick-mania!

Its out of control...Yucko!

But what's this about that whole side of town being "red-brick mania?" Ummmm, Hilton Americas, Toyota Center, Five Houston Center, the buildings going up in Discovery Green, ... not a red brick in any of those buildings...

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But what's this about that whole side of town being "red-brick mania?" Ummmm, Hilton Americas, Toyota Center, Five Houston Center, the buildings going up in Discovery Green, ... not a red brick in any of those buildings...

Guess I should have been more specific. Take a cruise around old Chinatown and head north on St Emanuel then go around Dowling street and be sure to see all new townhomes being built around MinuteMaid Park. ALL RED BRICK. There is a huge townhome complex being built as we speak near the ballpark parking lots and its all red brick. I imagine exconvicts will feel it all too familiar.

I would give names like Alcatraz Townhomes, Sing-Sing Village, The Big House Apartments, my fav is Electric Chair Lofts :lol:

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Guest danax

It's not classically beautiful and it does look like something that a kid would play with in the tub, but it has huge whimsical value, and so I like it. Same with the new courthouse and the Fed. We have enough "serious" brutalist architecture to offset it and, as dbigtex observed, what is unpopular now might one day be a world recognized classic.

And the front seems like a loading area at an airport terminal, and I wonder if that was intentional.

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It's not classically beautiful and it does look like something that a kid would play with in the tub, but it has huge whimsical value, and so I like it. Same with the new courthouse and the Fed. We have enough "serious" brutalist architecture to offset it and, as dbigtex observed, what is unpopular now might one day be a world recognized classic.

I couldn't have put it better Danax. I'm guilty of liking all three buildings too. I guess we just have bad taste :lol:

OH well B)

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  • 5 months later...
  • 8 months later...

Now those are rare photos. Not everday we get to see that up close.

That or those would make a great super model photo shoot back drop (hint local photographers).

That roof should be used for outdoor soiree's like in Fall/Winter to Spring. It can be done. Have the whole skyline as a backdrop. It could be another Skybar....more hints. :)

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Guess I should have been more specific. Take a cruise around old Chinatown and head north on St Emanuel then go around Dowling street and be sure to see all new townhomes being built around MinuteMaid Park. ALL RED BRICK. There is a huge townhome complex being built as we speak near the ballpark parking lots and its all red brick. I imagine exconvicts will feel it all too familiar.

I would give names like Alcatraz Townhomes, Sing-Sing Village, The Big House Apartments, my fav is Electric Chair Lofts :lol:

Lazy architects taking a visual cue from the stadium, I guess. A bit ironic that several genuinely old brick buildings were knocked over to make room for new buildings with 'retro' brick facades.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I was never too sure whether I liked the GRB or not until after they built Discovery Green in front of it. Now I like the GRB just fine. That reflection pond does wonders for everything around it.

gallery_1628_94_296518.jpg

2507368806_f08f466526.jpg?v=0

The ship now looks like it belongs. What's a ship without water?!

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  • The title was changed to GRB Must Be Destroyed (Or Redone)
  • The title was changed to Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel

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