Triton Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I can't wait to see a rendering of how this thing is going to look like coming into the city from the north... that's the real impact this is going to have on the skyline. I'd imagine it would just look like the south side but the roof is not the same on both the north and the south so I'm not sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Unfortunately it reminds me of this cheap-looking stucco building, more than it does of one park place Edited July 17, 2014 by fernz 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 The building above is a bit unfortunate. In all honesty, it reminds me of Ceaser's Palace in Las Vegas. I think the Market Square Building will (should) be a modern take on Art Deco style... If done in brick, it will look more appropriate for Houston, and age better. Material means everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmancuso Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 ^ You should have seen what the original design (post oak) looked like. 9/11 forced the developers to scale back dramatically. Was quite impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Market square tower has an amenity list like no other MF building in Houston, or Texas for that matter. 2 pools and full floors of amenities, including a basketball court and a golf simulator. I'm afraid than in order to include these amenities (and stay competitive), they will need to go cheap on the exterior. I'd venture to say that people are more likely to make a leasing decision based on the amenity package than on the exterior materials and architectural detailing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Market square tower has an amenity list like no other MF building in Houston, or Texas for that matter. 2 pools and full floors of amenities, including a basketball court and a golf simulator. I'm afraid than in order to include these amenities (and stay competitive), they will need to go cheap on the exterior. I'd venture to say that people are more likely to make a leasing decision based on the amenity package than on the exterior materials and architectural detailing. We can speculate all we want, but we wont know till it's going up. On a side note, did someone say their prices seem higher than the average?... So a matter of being "competitive" is relative. Personally, if I am spending big $$$, I would want my building to not look like flurf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Market square tower has an amenity list like no other MF building in Houston, or Texas for that matter. 2 pools and full floors of amenities, including a basketball court and a golf simulator. I'm afraid than in order to include these amenities (and stay competitive), they will need to go cheap on the exterior. I'd venture to say that people are more likely to make a leasing decision based on the amenity package than on the exterior materials and architectural detailing. I'm no expert on residential real estate, but shouldn't high quality interior amenities generally correlate with a high quality exterior? Are there any residential towers where the developer splurged on a sumptuous exterior and then put cheap apartments on the inside? Sort of like a house or a car... if you're paying for the inside to be fancy, you probably want the outside to look good too, and vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I'm no expert on residential real estate, but shouldn't high quality interior amenities generally correlate with a high quality exterior? Are there any residential towers where the developer splurged on a sumptuous exterior and then put cheap apartments on the inside? Sort of like a house or a car... if you're paying for the inside to be fancy, you probably want the outside to look good too, and vice versa.The trump tower fits that bill. they spent a couple of million on a metallic accent.In case you're wondering, it was the building featured in the TV show "the crazy ones. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 The trump tower fits that bill. they spent a couple of million on a metallic accent.In case you're wondering, it was the building featured in the TV show "the crazy ones. " Isn't that a 5 star hotel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Wow, they have now wrapped the fencing with green tarp. Is this thing really underconstruction already? And how many new construction projects does that bring it up to currently in downtown? 8? Skyhouse, leeland garage, 609 main, former macys, MM, alliance, uhd garage, fingers. Plus about 3 renos? Good job downtown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Isn't that a 5 star hotel?I believe it IS a hotel on the lower floors, but don't know about a five star. The upper floors are definitely office, but I can't remember if they were also going to be residences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Wow, they have now wrapped the fencing with green tarp. Is this thing really underconstruction already? And how many new construction projects does that bring it up to currently in downtown? 8?Skyhouse, leeland garage, 609 main, former macys, MM, alliance, uhd garage, fingers. Plus about 3 renos? Good job downtown by the end of the year we should add: marquette residential, 8 story residential, hines residential, HSPVA, 6 Houston Center, and I am sure some others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) - Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Wow, they have now wrapped the fencing with green tarp. Is this thing really underconstruction already? They have picked up the parking curb things and have a couple of dumpsters on the lot, but I don't know what they are putting in them, unless they are starting work inside he garage already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 It looks like the goal is for this tower to have a small grocery store. Further steps forward for Downtown. http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/07/16/new-details-revealed-in-market-square-tower.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 The ultimate expression of boom Texas skyline I remember was the 1984 Republican Convention in Dallas when they showed the night skyline and mentioned there were 15 buildings under construction.The second one was the scene driving by Downtown on Urban Cowboy. Don't forget Local Hero a few years later - Wells Fargo was a big giant skeleton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metro West Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) Y'all can besmirch the architecture of the tower all you want (it's good, not great) but this tower (and the Hines a block over) is going to add a lot of downtown residents (good ones) and is really going to give downtown that much coveted legitimate walkable neighborhood that people have been craving for Houston since this website started. GAME CHANGER. O how those businesses already in that area must be salivating over this project. Personally, I like how this tower is going to extend the skyline to the north and make it look noticeably bigger from the west and east. Regardless of architecture style or materials, upon completion, downtown silhouettes just got more impressive. Edited July 18, 2014 by Metro West 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 They are hammering out the street curbs along Preston. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) Metro west,You make a very good point and a perfect example on a smaller scale is the last twenty story courthouse on Franklin and Caroline. Now when driving in on 59 it gives the downtown a much larger perimeter of structures which visually changes the dynamics. For all of the negative talk unless this looks like the embassy suites or that ridiculous skinny building in the galleria it should be just fine. With the Hines building added to the mix it will really develop some mass for that northwestern quadrant.Hopefully it will have a masonry facade. Edited July 18, 2014 by bobruss 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Y'all can besmirch the architecture of the tower all you want (it's good, not great) but this tower (and the Hines a block over) is going to add a lot of downtown residents (good ones) and is really going to give downtown that much coveted legitimate walkable neighborhood that people have been craving for Houston since this website started. GAME CHANGER. O how those businesses already in that area must be salivating over this project. Personally, I like how this tower is going to extend the skyline to the north and make it look noticeably bigger from the west and east. Regardless of architecture style or materials, upon completion, downtown silhouettes just got more impressive. I agree with your comments, but this is an architecture forum; we can criticize the architecture all we like, even if we do love the fact that the tower is being built and will do great things for the area. On another note, these two projects are not really going to "give downtown that much coveted legitimate walkable neighborhood " feel, but rather they will make only the area around the square a walkable neighborhood.. Similar to how Post midtown 12 years ago only transformed a small portion of Midtwon, and how OPP and DG only transformed a small portion of DT. The sad truth is that even if all the currently planned projects are built, Downtown as a whole will not become walkable. Yes, it will be better overall, and yes, there will be many more great urban pockets, but it will take a lot more to really transform DT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonfella Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I agree with your comments, but this is an architecture forum; we can criticize the architecture all we like, even if we do love the fact that the tower is being built and will do great things for the area. On another note, these two projects are not really going to "give downtown that much coveted legitimate walkable neighborhood " feel, but rather they will make only the area around the square a walkable neighborhood.. Similar to how Post midtown 12 years ago only transformed a small portion of Midtwon, and how OPP and DG only transformed a small portion of DT. The sad truth is that even if all the currently planned projects are built, Downtown as a whole will not become walkable. Yes, it will be better overall, and yes, there will be many more great urban pockets, but it will take a lot more to really transform DT. If you lived here in 1972, you would be thrilled with the development over the past 20 years. Nuff said. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) - Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metro West Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) I agree with your comments, but this is an architecture forum; we can criticize the architecture all we like, even if we do love the fact that the tower is being built and will do great things for the area. On another note, these two projects are not really going to "give downtown that much coveted legitimate walkable neighborhood " feel, but rather they will make only the area around the square a walkable neighborhood.. Similar to how Post midtown 12 years ago only transformed a small portion of Midtwon, and how OPP and DG only transformed a small portion of DT. The sad truth is that even if all the currently planned projects are built, Downtown as a whole will not become walkable. Yes, it will be better overall, and yes, there will be many more great urban pockets, but it will take a lot more to really transform DT.NO! You may only criticize what I SAY you can criticize! Just kidding. But, what part of "Y'all can besmirch the architecture of the tower all you want" did you not understand? I'm not exactly thrilled with the tower's architecture myself. I just see it as a great project for downtown. It's a good step in the right direction for downtown. Anyway, who said anything about all of downtown. The area around Market Square IS the neighborhood I was referring to. Edited July 18, 2014 by Metro West Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metro West Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) Totally agree, go to New York City, just about any few block area is better than everything downtown Houston has to offer in total for now. Let's check in 20 years, who has the Time Capsule? Good God - who's comparing Houston to New York. I'm comparing Houston in 2017 with Houston in 2014. If anyone's waiting for downtown Houston's walkable urban 'neighborhood' to be bigger and better than New York, they are going to be waiting for a very, very long time. I think the most we can hope for is just a little taste of NY in a small area. Personally speaking, that's good enough for me. If I wanted to live in NY or wanted the NY 'experience', I'd move there - and would suggest anyone else do the same. Life is too short to wait for Houston to copy NY or anywhere else. What a silly thing to want anyway. Edited July 18, 2014 by Metro West 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) Both Towers will make an impact on the skyline. I pass by the area on I-10 every morning, and will certainly add more density. They will compliment the Chase Tower's height nicely much like the Calpine Center has. Imagine this view when both are completed. I'm content with the design, aslong as it's not orange, yellow, or beige stucco. Edited July 18, 2014 by Montrose1100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
democide Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) That is one big garage, front and center. Like Metro West said earlier, I wish One Market Square (International Tower) would trade places with this one. Either that or One Market Square needs to be 50 stories high again. Edited July 18, 2014 by democide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston? Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Is One Market Square even going to get built? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Is One Market Square even going to get built?Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatesdisastr Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 And HAIF is back up! I'm really glad it is back up, but I must say, I am surprised we still have the Christmas tree HAIF "A" still going in the middle of July. I guess I can get down with Christmas in July Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston? Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Yes. Do you know when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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