HeightsGuy Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 My office window looks out on this building, and I just noticed that construction elevators and curtains are going up around the 1st few floors.Does anyone know the details? Is it cosmetic, or are they going to put a new skin on the place?Please say it won't be changed. Love it or hate it, I think it's a shining example of early 60's Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greystone08(returns) Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 please! that building not only needs to be changed but could stand to be knocked down and rebuilt all over again from scratch. This building looks so rusty and dirty, it's nasty to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Like they say, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge architecture solely from the outside. I used to lunch in the basement in this building. I like it. And it's a functional design as well all know. I have not worked downtown for close to month, but they always seemed to be doing work on the first few floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 please! that building not only needs to be changed but could stand to be knocked down and rebuilt all over again from scratch. This building looks so rusty and dirty, it's nasty to look at.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>What's wrong with a good cleaning/restoration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greystone08(returns) Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 What's wrong with a good cleaning/restoration?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>that would even be good!! But SOMETHING does need to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowbrow Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Which Exxon building are we talking about? they have 4 campuses around town that I am aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonfella Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Which Exxon building are we talking about? they have 4 campuses around town that I am aware of.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I think the downtown one. You know, a lot of people hate that building. But it takes me back to 1972 when I moved to Houston. That building was 44 stories tall and from a small town young man, the skyline was awesome and that building will always remind me of Houston. Something about it made the skyline, at that time, distinctive. At any rate, a nice makeover will be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 There is only one Exxon Building in Houston. Some say it also used to be called the Humble Oil Building, but they are wrong. This is the Humble Oil Building. Now a Courtyard by Marriott. The Humble Oil & Refining Company commissioned its design in 1921 from the New York architectural firm of Clinton and Russell. With a 17-story tower added in the 1930s and subsequent additions, it reached its current 472,000 square foot form by the mid1940s. Both beat the Exxon Building in NYC: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowbrow Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Ah you all are talking skyscrapers... I should look at what sub-forum I am in. My problem is that I never navigate the forums I just keep hitting "View New Posts". I'm so lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 I love the Exxon building. This style is quite common in Brazil. I love the cage exterior. Something about the modern design just really appeals to me. I've seen many houses that use this type of architecture. Some or the Mods we talk about on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted May 14, 2005 Share Posted May 14, 2005 Ah you all are talking skyscrapers... I should look at what sub-forum I am in. My problem is that I never navigate the forums I just keep hitting "View New Posts". I'm so lazy. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Join the club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted May 14, 2005 Share Posted May 14, 2005 hey MidtownCoog, how tall is that exxon in NYC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YakuzaIce Posted May 14, 2005 Share Posted May 14, 2005 750 ft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted May 14, 2005 Share Posted May 14, 2005 Some say it also used to be called the Humble Oil Building, but they are wrong.According to the 1972 AIA Houston Architectural Guide, what is now the Exxon Building on Bell was originally named the Humble Building. The Exxon name wasn't adopted until some time in the 1970s. The original Humble building on Main if I'm not mistaken was called The Main Building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasdago Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 The Exxon Building is a landmark building designed by Welton Becket & Associates of Los Angeles (also known for the Capital Records Building). Clean it up, sure... but don't damage it by messing with the design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeightsGuy Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Wanted to bump this back to the top. Does anyone know what is being done? Looking out my window, the construction curtain is up on the first six floors after the lobby floor, and elevators go up to the 12th.I'm still hoping for a good cleaning/restoration and not a wholesale change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasboy Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 i actually like this building as ugly as it is. they are actually building a condo tower in miami similar to it right now. Here is a picture courtesy of MontroseNeighborhood at SSP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeightsGuy Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Wow, what a picture. That captures the best angle to admire the structure. How someone can take the most basic of shapes and make it dazzling is still beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Just got off the phone with my brother, who works for Exxon. The scaffolding is there for exterior maintenance, nothing more. No changes to the facade. He seemed to remember something about old caulking being replaced. This project has been going on for a few years, since they do a few floors at a time.Exxon remodeled their foyer several years back, but that's as big as it got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasboy Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Wow, what a picture. That captures the best angle to admire the structure. How someone can take the most basic of shapes and make it dazzling is still beyond me.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>yeah, MontroseNeighborhood is real good with doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 The Exxon Building most certainly was called the Humble (silent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 great to see them maintaining this building. Hope it lasts another 45 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 I walked over there this morning. Looks like scafolding and burlap for some window work. FYI - The cafeteria in the basement of this place is pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 ^^^ Indeed it is, although I don't care for their salads. I've had better downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 They are in the process of removing the original marble column covers and replacing them with a similar colored aluminum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 I was walking south this morning as the sun was hitting the top of this building.I finally realized the top vertical pieces of metal are a slight faded green. A patina gone bad.Fix that, and I bet this building will look 100% better.Wonder what color they were to begin with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matth1231 Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 My mom still works here and I visit her often. The lobby and elevator banks are really nice (including the food court in the basement, with a nice piramid in an atrium kinda thing). They have recently added a class enclosure around the elevator banks for security reasons so you can't really appreaciate that. Inside the office could use some work. All of the walls are magnetic and an off white yellowish color.I really appreaciate the uniquness of the building. The only thing that bothers me is how on the top floor (where the Petrolium Club is) how sometimes not all the drapes are clossed or opened at the same time. They either need to get rid of the drapes or tint the windows.Don't forget this building had the first tunnel downtown. Tobad it still doesn't really go anywhere besides their garage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 I drove by yesterday and noticed they have named the project:"The Facade Project". You can see the sign under the Milam walkway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 When we were kids our parents would take us to the top to the observatory. It had a cool machine that would mold a replica of the Humble Building with a slot on the top for a piggy bank. I think it cost 25 cents. My mom saved everything but I have yet to find it in any of her things. [just a small point of useless trivia] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 They are in the process of removing the original marble column covers and replacing them with a similar colored aluminum.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Welcome to HAIF, Gordon.Can anyone else confirm this? I've seen attempts to replace unstable marble cladding with metal before, and sometimes it ain't pretty.Much more economical, I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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