JW Marriott At 806 Main St. & Expansion Into Battlestein’s - 812 Main St.

[H-Town Man]

Here you go...

 

 "... along with the implied "You're not important because you don't have the money that they do."" 

 

You're going to see what you want to. 

 

The histrionics over a small feature seemed over the top to me, and parodies are funny, not antagonistic.  If I am itching for an argument, you certainly seem itching to oblige. I'm not. It's all opinion and there is no perfect or objective. 

 

Let me help you with reading comprehension.  The statement says nothing about the attitudes of developers.  Rather, it refers to people on HAIF who post comments which imply that someone's opinion on architecture is silly or unimportant, because they're not the mighty developer with the money to actually do the project.  You made such a comment earlier on this thread (post 342), and it's a common sentiment on HAIF among people who don't like architecture or maybe don't know much about it, but enjoy saying to the people who do, "Who are you to criticize the mighty developer? Get the money to do it yourself if you don't like it."

Edited February 3, 2014 by H-Town Man

[mollusk]

My stars, but people seem to be getting worked up easily today.  On to an easier question...

 

I'm wondering if the original exterior brick might have needed restoration prior to the installation of the glass curtain or if the tar like coating on the outside was just to seal it up to keep mold or whatever from getting in to the building. 

 

I work nearby and have watched this up close and personal on a daily basis.  The tar like coating was there underneath the glass and stone facade, I assume as some sort of waterproofing layer so that the stone work didn't need to be sealed up all that tightly.  My guess is that it was impractical, if not impossible, to remove.

[Nate99]

Let me help you with reading comprehension.  The statement says nothing about the attitudes of developers.  Rather, it refers to people on HAIF who post comments which imply that someone's opinion on architecture is silly or unimportant, because they're not the mighty developer with the money to actually do the project.  You made such a comment earlier on this thread (post 342), and it's a common sentiment on HAIF among people who don't like architecture or maybe don't know much about it, but enjoy saying to the people who do, "Who are you to criticize the mighty developer? Get the money to do it yourself if you don't like it."

 

 

 

"Hold accountable", "Walmart",  "They always do this to us", "smdh", "mediocre Texas historicist architect". I find it all to be delightfully overwrought and so entirely predictable an outrage over something so small, or more succinctly, self parody. Criticize all you like, it makes this place enjoyable.  

 

If you think these stars are that serious and important, more power to you, I'll be enjoying the discussion while you are here for whatever smug satisfaction you get from knowing more about architecture than me but still having the exact same amount of impact on the actual architecture being discussed. My post in #342 just pointed out the obvious, they like the stars so on they go. It must be my lack of reading comprehension that precludes me from seeing where I implied that all should be silent on their choice. 

 

I'll be danged if it doesn't look to my uncomprehending self like I criticized them too, in post #342 of all places. 

[H-Town Man]

"Hold accountable", "Walmart",  "They always do this to us", "smdh", "mediocre Texas historicist architect". I find it all to be delightfully overwrought and so entirely predictable an outrage over something so small, or more succinctly, self parody. Criticize all you like, it makes this place enjoyable.  

 

If you think these stars are that serious and important, more power to you, I'll be enjoying the discussion while you are here for whatever smug satisfaction you get from knowing more about architecture than me but still having the exact same amount of impact on the actual architecture being discussed. My post in #342 just pointed out the obvious, they like the stars so on they go. It must be my lack of reading comprehension that precludes me from seeing where I implied that all should be silent on their choice. 

 

I'll be danged if it doesn't look to my uncomprehending self like I criticized them too, in post #342 of all places. 

 

So are we agreed that I never said "developers hate poor people"?  Just for the record...

[Nate99]

So are we agreed that I never said "developers hate poor people"?  Just for the record...

 

Agreed, you didn't say that. Your particular phrasing sounded like a unfairly negative hyperbole though. 

 

If you had characterized my position as, "Your opinion is not important because you don't have money in the project" I would have agreed with your characterization, because that's pretty much what I think.  Importance is relative. You may have meaningful thoughts on the matter, but less pragmatically so than people with actual skin in it, again, my opinion. If it's not going to matter, it's not that important of an idea, I think we look at this completely differently.

 

But I don't equate someone holding an unimportant opinion to the person being unimportant, that's just an ugly way to phrase something. It's that you said "You're not important because you don't have the money that they do".  That sounds like "shut up poor people you have no value" to me, but that could be an incorrect inference on my part and its not what I think. 

Edited February 3, 2014 by Nate99

[H-Town Man]

Agreed, you didn't say that. Your particular phrasing sounded like a unfairly negative hyperbole though.

If you had characterized my position as, "Your opinion is not important because you don't have money in the project" I would have agreed with your characterization, because that's pretty much what I think. Importance is relative. You may have meaningful thoughts on the matter, but less pragmatically so than people with actual skin in it, again, my opinion. If it's not going to matter, it's not that important of an idea, I think we look at this completely differently.

But I don't equate someone holding an unimportant opinion to the person being unimportant, that's just an ugly way to phrase something. It's that you said "You're not important because you don't have the money that they do". That sounds like "shut up poor people you have no value" to me, but that could be an incorrect inference on my part and its not what I think.

Fair enough. I hate making enemies on here so I won't push that one any further, but I still think your comments on self parody were meant to antagonize.

[Nate99]

Fair enough. I hate making enemies on here so I won't push that one any further, but I still think your comments on self parody were meant to antagonize.

 

Perhaps I was amusing myself at others' expense, but I certainly do not take it seriously to ever expect to make an enemy. It's just opinions.

 

More pics to come. 

[rechlin]

Guys, stop arguing about stupid things. You're acting like children. Let's go back to posting photos.

Here's the current progress of the top of 806 Main. The top 5 floors are pretty much done, the mast climbers have been shortened another segment, and now they're just putting the final colored texturing around floors 18-20. They've also painted the southwest side of the penthouse. I still wonder if they will do something about the windows up there, because at the very least they need a coat of paint, yet the scaffolding is gone with no progress (click for a bigger view):

Since I know they are a point of contention, here's a closeup of one of the stars:

[sevfiv]

Thanks again for the updates!

[Nate99]

 I still wonder if they will do something about the windows up there, because at the very least they need a coat of paint, yet the scaffolding is gone with no progress (click for a bigger view):

 

 

Maybe they will pop them out and replace from the inside? 

 

It might be earlier in the thread, but somewhere I got the impression that this penthouse was for elevator mechanicals. If that were the case, something other than an actual window could be installed there too. Agreed that it seems odd to completely refinish the exterior all around and leave the raggedy old window frames. 

[H-Town Man]

Since I know they are a point of contention, here's a closeup of one of the stars:

 

Thank you for the closeup.  And on closer inspection, this is definitely a star.  I count one, two, three, four... five points.  One on top, two on the bottom.  Whether one likes it or doesn't like it, it's a star.

[downtownian]

This picture of 806 Main was featured as part of the top story on Bloomberg today. There is nothing really about Houston in the article, I was just excited to see that corner featured in national media:

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-06/hedge-funds-preparing-for-1-trillion-property-bill-mortgages.html

[mollusk]

I think that the stars need to be rust colored and have a circle around them just touching the points.  Otherwise, the cliche is incomplete.

[Montrose1100]

I think that the stars need to be rust colored and have a circle around them just touching the points. Otherwise, the cliche is incomplete.

Only if they're rusted...

[downtownian]

Exciting to see some lights on and units complete:

 

[Urbannizer]

 

 

 

[IronTiger]

Kinda chuckling at the "Innovative & Timeless" sign on the fence below. Really--they pretty much destroyed the facade of the building and rebuilt it in something similar to what it originally was. I wonder what restaurants or shops will be in the street level though. And was it ever connected to the tunnels?

[mollusk]

It is connected to the tunnels, both to BG across Main, and via 801 Travis to the Niels Esperson food court (blink and you will miss the corridor heading east from the Niels).

[treblelino]

I think the building will look nice. Calm down guys.

[DrLan34]

looking good j dub

[Houston19514]

Kinda chuckling at the "Innovative & Timeless" sign on the fence below. Really--they pretty much destroyed the facade of the building and rebuilt it in something similar to what it originally was. I wonder what restaurants or shops will be in the street level though. And was it ever connected to the tunnels?

 

The facade was pretty much destroyed back in the 60s.  It is unfair to the point of ridiculous to pin that on the current (re)-developers.

[IronTiger]

The facade was pretty much destroyed back in the 60s.  It is unfair to the point of ridiculous to pin that on the current (re)-developers.

From what I've seen, a lot of facade "improvements" added in the 1950s and 1960s simply covered up the original facade. Are you saying that underwent extensive construction to the extent of basically gutting the building decades earlier?

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

they covered up the brick facade by gluing the new facade to the brick.

it is the glue that ruined the brick facade.

 

 

 

well, the glue and the ugly stuff it was holding on to the brick...

[Nate99]

Distance shot...

 

[totheskies]

Yes, this re-innovation (not sure we can call it a restoration anymore) is looking very nice!!

[Ctaf]

In that picture (#384), whats the building in front of the JW Marriott, with the crown? It looks awesome. I'm still trying to learn all these different buildings

[downtownian]

In that picture (#384), whats the building in front of the JW Marriott, with the crown? It looks awesome. I'm still trying to learn all these different buildings

 

That's the Gulf Building (now the JP Morgan Chase Bank Building). It was constructed in 1929 and designed by Alfred Finn, Kenneth Franzheim and J.E.R. Carpenter. Jesse H. Jones served as developer. It is 36 stories, 450-feet tall and was tallest building in Houston from 1929-1963.

 

Source: AIA Houston Architectural Guide, third edition

[H-Town Man]

In that picture (#384), whats the building in front of the JW Marriott, with the crown? It looks awesome. I'm still trying to learn all these different buildings

If you walk through the ground floor it actually looks even better.

[Nate99]

If you walk through the ground floor it actually looks even better.

 

Definitely. Probably the coolest looking building lobby in Houston. It is what I imagined the Empire State Building lobby would look like.

 

The actual ESB lobby was, as I recall foggily, rather cramped feeling.

[rechlin]

I figure since it has been a couple weeks since my last update, I'd update you guys again. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a whole lot of visible progress lately.

They finally took down the scaffolding around the penthouse. Also, they put another coat of paint on floors 18 through 20, so those look a lot less splotchy now. Then they shortened the mast climbers/scaffolvators down to the 17th floor. Most recently, they added a little more trim around the 17th floor windows, troweled on the gray stuff, and put a coat of white paint on it. Also I saw a guy putting a little bit of the gray stuff on the right side of the area behind the right elevator, below floors 18, 19, and 20.

Here's a photo from late Friday afternoon, and as usual, click for higher resolution:

Edited February 23, 2014 by rechlin