Downtown Skyline Update

[Howard Huge]

Having One Market Square at only 41 floors, I would say no. The western, taller side is THE view.

Yea, the WORST view, I LOATHE that angle.

Whats worse is thats ALWAYS the angle the national press shows when Houston is in the news for any reason.

Like the poster before me said, it makes our skyline look small, pathetic and insubstantial. Not to mention having Heritage plaza as the centerpiece is so UGLY.

Oh look, Houston only has five buildings

[BigFootsSocks]

It's like we've been stuck in the 90's for the past 20 years...

[democide]

I agree that this view is used too much, and it hasn't changed much.  Yes, it looks small but I think it will look better once 1600 Louisiana goes up and 609 Main.  One Market Square at 41 floors may not be as visible but we will see.  But I disagree that Heritage Plaza is ugly.  I love that building and looks great as the centerpiece. 

 

I think the worst view is from the back, right across 59.  You have the back side of GRB spread across much of that side.  That alone makes it awful and having 59 elevated right next to it officially makes this side the worst and no doubt the least photographed side.  Looks good if you're standing at Discovery Green, or if you're standing far, far away from that viewpoint.  But yeah, up close from across 59 is the worst, no other side is as bad and no other side is as challenged for highrise development than that side.

[fkp5]

The back side is seeing a lot of development and should look better in a couple of years. Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

 

Here is my favorite view of Houston. It really shows the quantity of buildings in the skyline.

 

[BigFootsSocks]

That last picture...damn Htown is reaaaaal nice

[HoustonIsHome]

It would be silly to say our western skyline view is anything but our signature. The closest view to it is the south view on I-45. There is a reason these views are shown most. Cliche and tired? Maybe... The other views are great too and to me also sometimes more interesting. But when I picture downtown I immediately picture the western view.

I don't disagree. It is the signature view. But it is crappy and thin. Like I said, the more iconic buildings are show cased, but it makes our skyline looks plus it's just ten buildings

[bobruss]

Fkp5 I like that view a lot, but another nice view is from 59 north coming in to town on Hamilton.

I think the views from both spots are great because you have the body of smaller buildings in the foreground with the taller skyscrapers along the back. Its just a much denser looking mass from the east. With all of the construction on the east side of downtown it's really going to be an impressive view in three years.

Edited September 1, 2014 by bobruss

[Metro West]

[democide]

Beautiful work, thank you for your effort!

[Sky-guy]

Do I see a new rendering for the Chevron Tower?! Tell more, Metro West!!!

[Montrose1100]

Do I see a new rendering for the Chevron Tower?! Tell more, Metro West!!!

I always crossed my fingers they would incorporate their logo into the top of the tower, like Fulbright Tower.

[fkp5]

Great job Metro West! Now if we could just get a supertall with a spire right in the middle, our skyline would be perfect from that view!

Edited September 5, 2014 by fkp5

[Houston19514]

I always crossed my fingers they would incorporate their logo into the top of the tower, like Fulbright Tower.

 

You do realize the existence (or perceived existence) of a chevron design in the Fulbright Tower was totally by chance.  The building was built neither by nor for Chevron.  It was completed in 1982 for Gulf Oil Corporaiton, well before Chevron bought Gulf.

[Montrose1100]

You do realize the existence (or perceived existence) of a chevron design in the Fulbright Tower was totally by chance. The building was built neither by nor for Chevron. It was completed in 1982 for Gulf Oil Corporaiton, well before Chevron bought Gulf.

Oh Houston19514, must you point out my shallow and pedantic statements?

I had no clue. I never realized Gulf Oil occupied it before Chevron. Original tenants/history of tenants is mostly a blur in my mind for most Houston buildings. I have always wondered about that, specifically our tall ones Downtown. Where most of them built on speculation back in the day (apart from 1 & 2 Shell, Pennzoil, Exxon & KBR)? Perhaps that's another topic. Thanks for clearing that up.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Montrose1100

[LarryDierker]

My ol' lady's mad at me. Says I've been spending more time with this pic than with her.

 

 

[mollusk]

I had no clue. I never realized Gulf Oil occupied it before Chevron. Original tenants/history of tenants is mostly a blur in my mind for most Houston buildings. I have always wondered about that, specifically our tall ones Downtown. Where most of them built on speculation back in the day (apart from 1 & 2 Shell, Pennzoil, Exxon & KBR)? Perhaps that's another topic. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

Well, let's see... Not to come off as snarky, but the building under renovation on the Fannin/Rusk/San Jacinto/Capitol block was built for and occupied by The Texas Company (Texaco), and remained vacant ever since they decamped for Heritage a couple decades ago.  What is now the Courtyard Marriott was originally the Humble Building, before 800 Bell was built.  As best as I can tell, Texaco and Humble were the only major single occupant, non department store, non government buildings until relatively recently.  712 Main was built by Jesse Jones for and known as the Gulf Building, even though he also put his National Bank of Commerce in there, along with five floors of Sakowitz.  Buildings like Bank of the Southwest (now 919 Milam), Tenneco (now Kinder Morgan), etc. all had other tenants - IIRC, even One and Two Shell did originally.

 

[Montrose1100]

Well, let's see... Not to come off as snarky, but the building under renovation on the Fannin/Rusk/San Jacinto/Capitol block was built for and occupied by The Texas Company (Texaco), and remained vacant ever since they decamped for Heritage a couple decades ago.  What is now the Courtyard Marriott was originally the Humble Building, before 800 Bell was built.  As best as I can tell, Texaco and Humble were the only major single occupant, non department store, non government buildings until relatively recently.  712 Main was built by Jesse Jones for and known as the Gulf Building, even though he also put his National Bank of Commerce in there, along with five floors of Sakowitz.  Buildings like Bank of the Southwest (now 919 Milam), Tenneco (now Kinder Morgan), etc. all had other tenants - IIRC, even One and Two Shell did originally.

 

I thought 1 Shell Plaza was built for/with Shell as their tower in New Orleans is of similar style?

 

How about 600 Travis (Texas Commerce Tower)? Was it dreamed up with Hines & I.M. Pei, only to have TC Bank sign on as a major tenant or did TC Bank approach them?

 

Was First City Tower really built for First City Bank or is that some local delusion thought up like the Chevron (Fulbright), Tower?

 

How about Nations Bank Center (Bank of America Plaza)?

 

Allied Bank Center (Wells Fargo Plaza)?

 

The AIG/American General building on Waugh @ Allen Parkway (was Continental Airlines really there? if so, how long before they moved to Continental/Cullen Center)?

 

1400 Smith?

 

3 Allen Center?

 

1100 Louisiana?

 

My father said once the KBR Tower was built for the company he worked for at the time and it would have been taller than 800 Bell. But since they were working with the company at 800 Bell, they figured that wouldn't be a good idea. But I have absolutely no basis on this if it's true or a wild rumor that floated around his office. So, there's that.

 

 

Edit: Metro West you forgot the 800 Bell Renovation.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Montrose1100

[mollusk]

OK, this will be going off of memory rather than research, so I stand to be corrected by those with better info/more time to look into it:

 

>>>I thought 1 Shell Plaza was built for/with Shell as their tower in New Orleans is of similar style?

 

One and Two Shell have always been known as One and Two Shell (well, Two Shell for not that much longer, apparently).  However, IIRC there were also other tenants in there at first.

 

>>>How about 600 Travis (Texas Commerce Tower)? Was it dreamed up with Hines & I.M. Pei, only to have TC Bank sign on as a major tenant or did TC Bank approach them?

 

600 Travis was originally known as Texas Commerce Tower in United Energy Plaza.  It's also always been crawling with law firms.  I don't know who originally came up with building it and 601 across the street, 12 floors of parking garage and what was TCB's back room operations, such as check clearing, etc.  Side note - After Allison, a lot of the ATM network in this region went down because it had a hub under 601.

 

>>>Was First City Tower really built for First City Bank or is that some local delusion thought up like the Chevron (Fulbright), Tower?

 

IIRC, First City National Bank commissioned First City Tower (and its predecessor, now known as One City Centre, which used to have a glorious, airy Rat Pack era banking lobby stretching all the way down that block of McKinney, now taken up by a parking garage).  Again, the name tenant, but not the only one.

 

>>>How about Nations Bank Center (Bank of America Plaza)?

 

That was going to be the headquarters of Houston National Bank, moving out of what was the Tenneco Building.  Ditto re multi tenancy.

 

>>>Allied Bank Center (Wells Fargo Plaza)?

 

Same story as the other bank buildings.

 

>>>The AIG/American General building on Waugh @ Allen Parkway (was Continental Airlines really there? if so, how long before they moved to Continental/Cullen Center)?

 

That began as the American General building, now Wortham (the easternmost one in the complex), developed by Gus Wortham, who owned American General Insurance and who was also a developer.  The twin buildings came later, one was Riviana (named after its major tenant, a giant food company).  I forget what the other one was originally named.  The big building on the corner was Continental's headquarters for a time, beginning in the Frank Lorenzo era.  After AIG bought American General, it gradually took over more and more of the complex, either by not renewing leases or just making tenants miserable with really silly post 9/11 security theater, combined with weird moves on the parking availability (my firm was among the annoyed ones that left Wortham).

 

>>>1400 Smith?

 

This was going to be Enron's second building, complete with a massive, gonzo trading floor.  It was almost complete when that particular balloon went kablooey.

 

>>>3 Allen Center?

 

Pretty much spec, IIRC.

 

>>>1100 Louisiana?

 

This was InterFirst Bank's monument (InterFirst was an outgrowth of First National in Dallas, and was among the many casualties of the Texas real estate crash in the mid to late 80s.  Again, built with dreams of plenty o' tenants up above.  Its giant soaring banking lobby is now occupied by Page (formerly Page Southerland Page), an architectural office.

 

>>>My father said once the KBR Tower was built for the company he worked for at the time and it would have been taller than 800 Bell. But since they were working with the company at 800 Bell, they figured that wouldn't be a good idea. But I have absolutely no basis on this if it's true or a wild rumor that floated around his office. So, there's that.

 

I'm not old enough to have anything to contribute, one way or the other, to that particular story.  

[Urbannizer]

Are we sure that's the new design for Chevron? Hotel Alessandra is also not shown.

[Ross]

Oh Houston19514, must you point out my shallow and pedantic statements?

I had no clue. I never realized Gulf Oil occupied it before Chevron. Original tenants/history of tenants is mostly a blur in my mind for most Houston buildings. I have always wondered about that, specifically our tall ones Downtown. Where most of them built on speculation back in the day (apart from 1 & 2 Shell, Pennzoil, Exxon & KBR)? Perhaps that's another topic. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

Gulf merged with Chevron in the 80's.

 

[lockmat]

Are we sure that's the new design for Chevron? Hotel Alessandra is also not shown.

I'm also curious where he found that rendering. Has anyone even come out and said there was a new design?

[democide]

I'm pretty sure this new design was made by accident, when placing the tower in the photo.  There is no new design.

[Metro West]

It wasn't an accident. I deliberately made the Chevron tower resemble it's logo. It's just for fun. But maybe it will inspire someone at Chevron to do something more interesting with their billion dollar tower while they have the chance.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Metro West

[democide]

Looks good, I wish you made it into a supertall as well

[Metro West]

Maybe next time.

[LarryDierker]

we need comparison.

 

[houstontexasjack]

Thanks for putting the rendering together Metro West and for the comparison Larry Dierker. The Chevron Tower adds a good anchoring presence on the southwest part of the skyline. The hotels and residential highrises on the east side nicely broaden the skyline in that direction as well. I much prefer Metro West's modification to Chevron's tower. It would be nice if Chevron would add a crown to their tower for heightened impact on the skyline.

[Marcus Allen]

My ol' lady's mad at me. Says I've been spending more time with this pic than with her.

Absolutely beautiful. Sorry about the marital unbliss. I just bide my time. As great as this rendered shot is, it just begs for developers to add a 1200 ft or higher to the backdrop. Hehe. Excellent, (mr burns like).

[brijonmang]

Well, because apparently I have the free time to do it....tonight I started modeling downtown in Sketchup so that when new towers and the like are proposed we can get a pretty accurate feel on how they will look from multiple angles.  I'm trying to make it as true as possible so it may take awhile but expect updates on this.  Also, this is using fairly realistic textures not just massing.

 

**Update: this is going to be quite an undertaking as there are not many towers modeled in the 3d Warehouse...time will tell haha

Edited November 19, 2014 by brijonmang

[(Otto Mation)]

J-a-x has added a photo to the pool:

A view of the Garden Center at Hermann Park in Houston Texas from a JJRC H8C Quadcopter.

Click here to view this photo at the HAIF Photo Pool on Flickr