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Houston Potential Projects That Were Never Built


Subdude

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I have no artistic/drawing ability, so I'll cower behind some barrels after saying this...

It would be awesome to get a rendering of Houston with some or all of these projects drawn in. I'd love to see how the city 'might've looked'.

Some user named Dominax (?) did one some time ago...

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I found this conceptual design from Tim Bacheller. It's a really sweet idea I think. I recommend reading the entire idea at his website:

...a practice facility for a newly formed NHL hockey team, administration, restaurant, work-release opportunities and public space...

Site Strategy:

A discontinuous pedestrian pathway exists that must be reconnected. Rather than join the pathway with a singular line, the entire site, and therefore building, is conceived as pathway. The building may be accessed in numerous ways: one may descend down grand stairs that serve as spectator seating for the ice rinks; entering at grade level takes one through a field of light wells that define spaces for offices and a restaurant; ascending up ramps leads to swimming pools and a canopied public space that can be used for anything from picnics to protests to flea markets.

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http://timbacheller.com/projects/elephant-in-the-room/

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To my knowledge, many of these projects were proposed just before the latest downturn began - although I can't say which those are. Any thoughts on whether some of these may reemerge as the national/global economy picks back up?

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To my knowledge, many of these projects were proposed just before the latest downturn began - although I can't say which those are. Any thoughts on whether some of these may reemerge as the national/global economy picks back up?

Little chance they will re-emerge, especially in the form they were proposed in before the economic downturn. The only ones I'd say have a chance of coming back is some of the medical buildings.

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  • 1 month later...

It's funny looking back on a number of these projects from the past five years since I recall going into the sales offices, specifically of Turnberry, Park8 & Titan among others and checking out the pitch in each place. Even posted many of the initial photos of models and scanned the renderings acquired during those visits. Glad I kept the brochures though since they're unique souvenirs.

At any rate, here's a fairly obscure project from the early 80s called "The Sutherland", which was to have been a 30 story condo tower located at 55 Briar Hollow Lane. What's interesting is that the only traces I could ever find of it was this ad from an October 1981 issue of the Houston Post. I couldn't track down any articles on the project or it's developer(s) throughout the 80s, based on the archives I was using.

SutherlandAd.jpg

At around the same time, a joint partnership between Tenneco & the Developers of the St. James Condos had proposed building another condo building in the nearby Post Oak Park development. It was to have been a 15 story structure designed by SOM. I'll have to scan in the article at some point...

Edited by ChannelTwoNews
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No offense meant, but amongst the majority of these proposals, I'm grateful they never went up. Can any developers do an original project, along the lines (for the times, yet still amazing) of Pennzoil Place.

For a residential tower..... Can't think of a single one, sorry! Perhaps, that 'modern' one on Wilowwick near San Felipe!? Even that style has been over done too.

Maybe? http://www.chron.com/business/article/Luxury-residential-tower-planned-near-Highland-2191896.php

Will wait with unabated breath. B)

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The best of the dead definitely have to be Jennings Island, Water Lights District, and City Centre Tower. One of my personal favorites was Titan for Uptown but even though I liked the design it wasn't anything special that cant happen some other time down the road.

Things like or of similar caliber as Endeavor Parkside will come again but those projects were all very altering for their setting and the city. By the way, its a shame for some of those projects that Galveston never got to see. They've made developments like these very difficult to build on the island but do is it possible that the coastal areas of Brazoria County ever get these type of developments further (and I mean much further, like 10 or 15 years) down the road? There's no interstate access down that way but there's a lot of potential there that can spurt at any given point.

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dead Galveston project from chron the other day. Preserve at West Beach:

Unless Marquette comes up with an 11th-hour financial rescue plan, it's doubtful the planned 3,948 dwellings and two 16-story hotels will be built.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Massive-Isle-project-appears-dead-2190087.php#photo-1627458

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  • 1 month later...
  • 5 months later...

Found this:

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2010

Houston Downtown Present

Consider the view from the Morris Architects office onto Fannin at Lamar. This is a typical corner in the project area. Street retail frontage is discontinuous and poorly realized; it's interspersed with blank walls, loading docks, and transparent but relatively inactive building lobbies. The large plaza is attractive, but it's devoid of activity. Some sidewalks are wide and tree shaded; others are sunbaked. There's a parking garage, but it gives no indication it's open for visitors. In fact, there is almost no signage; from here, there's no way to tell that the building a block away is Macy's, or that there is good food to be had in the tunnels below. The unmistakable message: pass through unless you know the place. In a snapshot, this is the Downtown Shopping District today.

Houston Downtown Future

Consider the same corner as it could be. Lobbies and parking garages are transformed into shops. The plaza contains a new retail building with links into the tunnels. Canopies shade sidewalks. The parking garage advertises its presence to visitors. Signage is everywhere: advertising stores, guiding shoppers, brightening the streetscape, giving a sense of activity. The buildings are the same, but the place is transformed. Anyone passing through would be tempted to stop. This could be the Downtown Shopping District tomorrow. (Text by Christoph Spieler)

http://www.paulkweton.com/latest-projects/DowntownRetail/

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