Latitude Med Center: Residential Tower And InterContinental Hotel

[TheNiche]

Here's an old building that I consider to be gorgeous. The prudential building is just sort of blah for me. The only thing it's got going for it is that it's older than most buildings in the TMC.

The Medical Arts Building was nice too, but it was just an ornamented box. Nothing special...unless you're really just more of an old building enthusiast than an architecture enthusiast. In that case, it clearly is older than Prudential and therefore better.

But Prudential has lines. It is unfortunate that Emporis does not take greater care with their photography.

Edited March 18, 2008 by TheNiche

[NewMND]

So why are they tearing the Prudential down? Is it land MD already owns? Or is the TMC at a point now where there is so little available land left, they have to start tearing down older buildings? I don't drive around the TMC, but looking at pictures, I don't recall seeing surface parking lots.

[musicman]

So why are they tearing the Prudential down? Is it land MD already owns? Or is the TMC at a point now where there is so little available land left, they have to start tearing down older buildings? I don't drive around the TMC, but looking at pictures, I don't recall seeing surface parking lots.

TMC is pretty much landlocked and this modern landmark is being eyed for demolition. it was the first corporate high rise built outside of downtown. its design with the fountain out front has always caught my eye.

[Houston19514]

I'm talking about the original deed-restricted land. It's all east of Fannin. Don't remember the precise southern boundary, but given that the old Prudential building wasn't originally used for any kind of medical purpose, I'd imagine that the southern boundary is probably Holcombe.

I think that's correct. IIRC, it is about 160 acres, bordered by Fannin, Holcombe, Braeswood and MacGregor

[Jax]

So why are they tearing the Prudential down? Is it land MD already owns?

Yes MD Anderson owns that building. The department of bioengineering is in there (as well as some other stuff).

[woolie]

Why are for-profit organizations not allowed in the TMC? Seems like that kind of money, like from drug companies, would help the TMC have more than a boom, like maybe a super boom.

*refrains from comment about big pharma*

The TMC has patient care and academic research missions.

[woolie]

Yes MD Anderson owns that building. The department of bioengineering is in there (as well as some other stuff).

They've been planning to tear this down for several years now, but thankfully it hasn't happened. In 2003, I was in a lab that looked directly out onto this beautiful building. Each time they finished another new building next to it, I'd worry "if it was finally time for it to come down."

The stated premise is that the low ceiling heights on each floor are unsuitable for research or modern office use. MDACC estimated it would cost $300M to renovate the building to modern standards, but significantly less than that to raze the structure and build something new for the same purpose. So basically the preservation cost would be on the order of a hundred million dollars.

Of course, I think that's silly, and they should just leave it standing or lease it out for some kind of use, and just expand around it across the bayou. They already have some spectacular skywalks in that area... Across the bayou is just contract parking anyway right now. Anyway, EOM.

[rsb320]

I recall someone telling me that there is/was a swimming pool on top of the 8 story section of the Prudential. Does anyone have knowledge of this?

[LTAWACS]

I recall someone telling me that there is/was a swimming pool on top of the 8 story section of the Prudential. Does anyone have knowledge of this?

I didnt see one on maps.live.com... if there is one it's indoors.

[rsb320]

I just remember that MD Anderson's Doctor's Club used to be in that building and a Doctor I know used to take his kids there to swim (a long time ago). Maybe it is/was inside.

[wernicke]

It used to have a pool but it was filled-in in the 70s or so.

I know this building is historic for being the first high-rise built outside of the CBD (1952), but I can say I won't miss it when it's gone. The only thing worth preserving is the large mural in the lobby, which is pretty cool and rustic.

[rsb320]

I just spoke to my friend and the pool at "Prudential Main" was at ground level. It must have been the late 80's when they filled it in though because we met in '86. I've never thought it was very purdy either.

[NewMND]

If they tear down the Prudential, hopefully they replace it with something other than a box. Something purty.

Edited March 19, 2008 by NewMND

[strickn]

Our Pru definitely has lines. Even shorn by semi-necessity of most of its tropical gardens, it's still a neater place than the other semi-vintage Prudential buildings that I know of in Newark, Chicago or Boston - though the Newark one is wonderfully sound: http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=465805

What I have figured for the last year or two is this:

Right now it's headed for teardown, and we know the Med Center's architectural record is as abysmal as PageSoutherlandPage's new Pickens Academic Tower for MD Anderson that had to be built before teardown could begin.

Buildings built before the advent of advanced calculation were not optimized down to minimum materials with modern structural margins of error; they are far stronger than we now know they "have to be" (and MUCH more laborious to demolish than any of our recent accomplishments would be).

The building's frame could be used to anchor and support truly 21st Century class/office/lab interdisciplinary floors, building out from alternating floors of the existing tower. You'd be getting hundreds of thousands of square feet of brand-new space while paying for only one or two load-bearing walls instead of four, nevermind demolition and debris removal costs in an age when institutions are bragging about how much needless life-cycle waste they saved in their construction.

Would this really work?

Use Internet Exploder with the following bird's eye view http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...9&encType=1

For one or more wings of the tower, the semi-cantilever could be done on both sides of the same floors, tripling them in size, or for vertical circulation loads the additions on one side of the building could take place to floors 1,3,5,25... with interstitial space of less than a full storey left over next to floors 2,4,6 - while the additions on the other side met floors 2,4,6,24... with the ductwork and wiring chases next to floors 1,3,5... The building's floorplates would double in size, and support functions in the cores would already be in place.

There is such a deep L on the back of the building, all the way down to bare ground (and that's not even in sight!), that spatial fitting on the site is less of a concern than economic stewardship. And this plan, unless the building's foundation is really cracking, makes keeping the Pru a vastly more sensible proposition than it has sounded like in the two options (renovate the old space, or scrape the site) administrators have been given so far. I think they have enough imagination and pragmatism to see the wisdom in a solution like this.

And for architects, a good starting canvas like this building increases the chances that the design outcome will be a neat improvement, too.

(The 40 Storey Hotel/condo Tower will take care of itself.)

Edited March 20, 2008 by strickn

[Jax]

I hope this isn't too off topic, but I thought this was a cool photo of the TMC, only a few blocks from the proposed construction.

[midtownuser]

I hope this isn't too off topic, but I thought this was a cool photo of the TMC, only a few blocks from the proposed construction.

very nice.

Edited March 23, 2008 by midtownuser

[ricco67]

Can we parse this thread into appropriate sections?

Pru building and the BK thing as well.

[TheNiche]

Can we parse this thread into appropriate sections?

Pru building and the BK thing as well.

The BK thing is relevent to the hotel/condo project.

[Urbannizer]

Is this new info? 42~stories? hotel/condos? 9~story garage? ~1.4 acres? From Klotz Associates.

MEDISTAR, Houstonian Medical Tower, Houston, Texas

Klotz Associates provided paving, grading and site utilities for a forty-two story combination luxury hotel and condominium tower attached to a nine-story parking garage with two basement levels on a 1.4 acre site in the Houston Medical Center. Services also provided were the ADA / TDLR accessible routes and facilities, public street improvement and off-site public utility relocations to serve project site.

http://www.klotz.com/landdevelopment_projects.html

[LTAWACS]

Is this new info? 42~stories? hotel/condos? 9~story garage? ~1.4 acres? From Klotz Associates.

http://www.klotz.com/landdevelopment_projects.html

Is this is true then it would be nice. I'm sure they'll update the rendering of this high profile building to something better than a bland boring box. Perhaps something akin to the Turning Torso.

That would REALLY make an impact and impart such a visibility factor and instant recognition that people everywhere will gasp in awe.

[swtsig]

Is this is true then it would be nice. I'm sure they'll update the rendering of this high profile building to something better than a bland boring box. Perhaps something akin to the Turning Torso.

That would REALLY make an impact and impart such a visibility factor and instant recognition that people everywhere will gasp in awe.

while i would say something akin to the turning torso would be a tad ambitious, if there anywhere in houston that would take a chance architecturally, TMC would be the place.

[LTAWACS]

while i would say something akin to the turning torso would be a tad ambitious, if there anywhere in houston that would take a chance architecturally, TMC would be the place.

Now that i think of it it, I dont know why we dont have such a "twisty" building here. i mean come on... how much more does it actually cost? sure a little more since the walls are not straight and a curved wall will use more materials but come on.... sheesh.

[swtsig]

Now that i think of it it, I dont know why we dont have such a "twisty" building here. i mean come on... how much more does it actually cost? sure a little more since the walls are not straight and a curved wall will use more materials but come on.... sheesh.

well the dan duncan neurological center has a very promient 12-story or so (i think) "twisty" glass feature... better than nothing.

[LTAWACS]

well the dan duncan neurological center has a very promient 12-story or so (i think) "twisty" glass feature... better than nothing.

yeah i remember that.. is it completed?

[Urbannizer]

yeah i remember that.. is it completed?

Its topped out, but not fully complete. They're adding the Glass as of now.

[photolitherland]

I love this project but I cant imagine living there. All of the ambulance sirens and helicopters going by all the time. I think that would make it kinda hard to sleep at night.

[Jax]

I'm sure its not so hard to soundproof a fancy building like that. I live near the TMC (but not that close) and we have helicopters flying by all the time (I can see them landing from my window) but it doesn't really bother me. I actually think it's pretty cool to watch.

My desk in the lab where I'm doing my PhD is right next to the landing pad at Texas Heart Institute and surprisingly I don't hear a thing when helicopters pass fairly close by (like right across the street) - it's soundproofed really well.

[KinkaidAlum]

I see the helicopters from the Spires all the time but I don't hear them at all. Soundproofing of windows isn't a hard thing to do. I am really starting to like living in a highrise.

[LTAWACS]

I see the helicopters from the Spires all the time but I don't hear them at all. Soundproofing of windows isn't a hard thing to do. I am really starting to like living in a highrise.

Then we should move forward with this building asap.

[Urbannizer]

Quote

This HOK-designed hotel and apartment building is planned for a site on Main Street in the Texas Medical Center.

The full- service hotel will have about 250 rooms, a large percentage of which will be suites catering to medical center guests needing long-term stays, and approximately 40 to 60 apartments, according to TRC Capital Partners, an affiliate of the Redstone Cos., which will develop and own the property with Houston-based Medistar Corp.

HOK’s Roger Soto designed the building, which also will have as much as 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

Construction is expected to start in by year-end at 6750 Main. The group said it is evaluating hotel brands and operators.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2014/04/texas-medical-center-to-get-new-hotel/?cmpid=businesshcat