Lyric Center Building & Market At 440 Louisiana St.

[mollusk]

It's gorgeous.  I hope the food hall can overcome being on the far corner of downtown, and that the Mole People won't get too blinded by sunlight and windows.  Then again, Perbacco has been packed for lunch and theater dinner for something like 25 years or more.

 

Regarding garages, the 80s highrises (actually 70s; those that delivered in the 80s were started before that) didn't necessarily build them - Pennzoil and 700 Louisiana only have three or so levels under the building.  Likewise, most of the garages that were built aren't exactly masterworks, a prime example being the giant beige whale that is Allen Center's garage right up against the freeway.

[Naviguessor]

This looks really exciting and has "after 5PM/Weekend" potential.  With new residents in the neighborhood, major Market Square and Hines (hopefully) mixed-use developments coming, a great strategic position between Market Square Park and a redeveloped Theater District, with it's own added amenities and residents, this could become a real draw.  Markets like these in other cities do great morning, noon and night.  Awesome concept and design. 

[Nole23]

Love it! The design fits in with the Theatre District and I remember reading a while back that they wanted a wine lounge of some sort. The video shows a steakhouse in the corner so I'm sure this will cater to both the lunch time and after 5PM/weekend crowd.

[Subdude]

I wish someone would show a picture of this to whoever designed that monstrosity at Franklin & Milam.  

[Twinsanity02]

Really Subdude don't you think the monstrosity at Franklin and Milam has a sort of Omaha Beach pillbox charm to it? It is a good thing it is some distance from the USS Texas or the Texas might reflexively begin lobbing shells toward it as it did on pillboxes on June 6, 1944.

[kbates2]

Was just reading the discussion of the planning of the White Oak Music Hall in that thread and a few parts of it made me think more of the garage at Franklin and Milam:

 

"That’s where I cultivated a keen interest in design and culture, and, more specifically, the relationship between architecture and the city. More often than not, the most engaging cities we visited were always the ones that had an overt interest in supporting the arts through built projects."

 

Nailed it Powers Brown.

[mollusk]

2 hours ago, Twinsanity02 said:

Really Subdude don't you think the monstrosity at Franklin and Milam has a sort of Omaha Beach pillbox charm to it? It is a good thing it is some distance from the USS Texas or the Texas might reflexively begin lobbing shells toward it as it did on pillboxes on June 6, 1944.

 

yeah... just barely out of range of the 14" guns.  Which is probably good for Market Square.

[lockmat]

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 8:40 AM, mollusk said:

It's gorgeous.  I hope the food hall can overcome being on the far corner of downtown, and that the Mole People won't get too blinded by sunlight and windows.  Then again, Perbacco has been packed for lunch and theater dinner for something like 25 years or more.

 

Regarding garages, the 80s highrises (actually 70s; those that delivered in the 80s were started before that) didn't necessarily build them - Pennzoil and 700 Louisiana only have three or so levels under the building.  Likewise, most of the garages that were built aren't exactly masterworks, a prime example being the giant beige whale that is Allen Center's garage right up against the freeway.

 

I guessed they just didn't build any garages but I didn't know the ones underground were so small. I've seen the old downtown aerial shots with tons of parking lots, so I'm guessing they relied on those? Were there many on the west side of DT because they seemed to be mostly to be everywhere but in that NW quadrant.

 

Which leads to my assumption that today' potential tenants will simply not accept a lease without a garage?

[mollusk]

Since the Parking District continues to shrink in favor of buildings with even more people in them, the only two answers are either to build garages or somehow magically make the transit system more effective.  Developers only have control over one of those options.  It's probably not so much of a demand thing (after all, Pennzoil and 700 Louisiana stay pretty full even without ten story parking podiums), but an amenity to offer.

[Houston19514]

On 4/26/2017 at 8:40 AM, mollusk said:

 Likewise, most of the garages that were built aren't exactly masterworks, a prime example being the giant beige whale that is Allen Center's garage right up against the freeway.

 

But it should be acknowledged that a bunch of the "80s" (and 70s) garages were pretty well-disguised.  Heritage Plaza, 2 Shell Plaza, Texas Commerce Tower, Tenneco come to mind.

[mollusk]

You are correct, H...4, not all of it was prominent, eye gougingly ugly dreck... though Tenneco (AKA the Ten Ten Parking Garage) actually goes back to the 60s, IIRC, with a fitness center, etc. later fitted on top.  The late 70s / early 80s One, Two, and Shops at Houston Center also disguise their parking garages pretty nicely.

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[j_cuevas713]

On 4/24/2017 at 11:04 PM, Urbannizer said:

 

Very nice animation. 

[j_cuevas713]

On 4/25/2017 at 9:10 PM, Urbannizer said:

Here's a better look:

 

THIS IS AMAZING!

[bobruss]

Hopefully Houston First will have as much success with the theater district revamp as they have had with the G.R.Brown Disco Green 

project. This will be a great addition to the neighborhood while adding parking and dining options for the theater district if their plans are to keep it open during the evening. Has anyone heard any more about progress on the redesign of this area?

[Luminare]

On 4/26/2017 at 4:10 AM, Urbannizer said:

Here's a better look:

 

 

This is the definition of compromise and working with the urban fabric of the city. In terms of compromise, it satisfies the need for parking, but understands that more is needed in the area. In terms of urban fabric the aesthetic feels downtown, houston, and theater district. I quiet like the blend of brutalism and contemporary. Parking Garages are going to be part of the city for the foreseeable future. Its better to work with it than against. In fact using this as an example, parking garages could be interesting canvases to try new and different things at lower costs due to their functional nature. We need more of this.

Edited May 28, 2017 by Luminare

[hindesky]

[KinkaidAlum]

Totes agree on the parking lot compromise thing.

 

At the very least, we should mandate that all new parking structures in downtown have green roofs. Imagine little elevated parkings every few blocks offering cool views and helping erase the heat island effect and storm runoff. 

[cspwal]

Or maybe not mandate green roofs, but have an incentive - if you have a green roof you don't have to do detention or something like that.  No one wants to park on the roof anyway

[houstontexasjack]

There was an image of the front of the garage next to the cello player artwork sent out this morning.

 

[urbanize713]

wow, every time I come to this forum it gets better!

[Nole23]

Love everything about this development and the 2nd floor patio dinning area. Looks like they are also removing the grass area that currently sits where the outdoor dinning area is next to the statue.

Edited June 2, 2017 by Nole23

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

Up ramp.

 

[Urbannizer]

Untitled by Darius Fontenette, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Darius Fontenette, on Flickr

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

3rd floor, this going up a lot faster than the Market Square garage.

[hindesky]