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The Abandoned Astrodome And Its Future


gambitx

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I love this idea because I think that it creates exactly the kind of symbol that we all would like to see this city have. Taking something that was futuristic and innovative at the time that it was built and repurposing it into something that is futuristic and innovative. If it could be developed in a way to utilize the sunken floor, that would mitigate a lot of the cost.

This could also be used as a great festival space which was one of Ed Emmett's earlier ideas.

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Guess I should have been an architecture student or something, I had this idea years ago.

 

Doesn't mean I don't like the idea any longer, it would be an awesome way to memorialize the stadium.

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Guess I should have been an architecture student or something, I had this idea years ago.

 

Doesn't mean I don't like the idea any longer, it would be an awesome way to memorialize the stadium.

 

Yeah, we discussed this idea on HAIF.  I like the idea too.  (Still prefer to keep the whole buiding and repurpose it, but if that is not possible, I love the idea of keeping the superstructure.)

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Last April 16th I wrote the following on this thread:

 

Here's my idea. To my mind it seems to be the least expensive (except for just letting the 'Dome crumble into the ground), practical, and mindful of the siginicance of the structure.

Demolish the structure and let the larger part of the ground be used for whatever the powers that be think best but . . .

1) Mark where home plate and the 50-yard-line were (sort of like the home plate of the old 'Buff's stadium in th basement of Finger's furniture store.
Oops! I wonder what the fate of that piece of history is now. (Specwriter 3/28/13)

2) Reserve the ground around those two landmarks for a monument to the memories (notice plural) of the dome. I would move the statue of R. E. "Bob" Smith into this area, add a statue of Judge Hofheinz and build a granite wall somewhat like the one at the Vietnam Memorial in D. C. but not as somber of course. The wall might define the location of the baseball diamond. On one side (probably the 'outside') could be images in relief of notable events held at the 'Dome and on the other side a list of names - a hall of fame, if you will, of notable people who played/performed there. This would include greats from the Astros and Oilers, and other athletes (think Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs) as well as other local entertainers for example, Kenny Rogers and Selena.

Well, it's just a thought. Perhaps I should go looking for my old sketch book and Prismacolors. There's just been too many wonderful things that happened in the 'Dome (even apart from great Astros and Oilers games) not to make some gesture acknowledging those events.

 

Saving the superstructure would be very cool also but might involve quite a bit of expense for restoration and making it more resistant to weathering, e.g. expensive "paint" to protect the steel. Remember, it was originally intended to be protected by the building's "skin." I do especially like Mr. Slattery's idea since it would allow the space to server a variety of functions.

 

What ever is done with the land the 'Dome sits on now I hope the new configuration makes some gesture to all the history that has taken place there. It was much more than baseball and football. For sure don't forget Robert Altman's Brewster McCloud. I heard a reference to that classic cult movie on a recent TV show.

 

BTW, I am also a former graduate student of the UofH College of Architecture (M. Arch 1991). That was before Gerald Hines bought the naming rights.

 

My graduate thesis involved turning the old rail platforms on the east side of Union Station into a multi-modal transportation terminal with the station lobby serving much as it did in the past with other services for commuters like a coffee kiosk, dry cleaners drop-off, pharmacy, etc. That was well before most of us had an idea that the land would become the new ball park and that Houston would have any other mode of public transportation besides busses. I see now, from another thread on HAIF, the idea of a multi-modal transportation center is gaining interest once more.

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Yeah, we discussed this idea on HAIF.  I like the idea too.  (Still prefer to keep the whole buiding and repurpose it, but if that is not possible, I love the idea of keeping the superstructure.)

 

Yeah, but after 15 years no one has been able to figure out a way to re-utilize it in any way that makes sense.  If they keep the superstructure maybe someone will have a better idea sometime in the future.

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I don't like the park idea. It seems that's what the city is doing all over. Let's just put a park here. Midtown Superblock idea is now just a park. It seems like a boring idea. Discovery Green was a great idea because it replaced the parking lots that were there before, but when they start talking about doing this in all places, it makes it seem quite drab.

 

Why not something a little more exciting? Like the intermodal station idea with an outdoor public gathering plaza, the largest hotel idea, the indoor ski resort, and what the hell ever happened to the movie studio idea of 2009/2010 timeframe? I guess a park is the next best thing from a parking lot though. I just don't want all of our landmark areas to be parks. Pretty soon, we're going to be know as graseland city. Parks can be overdone too!

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I don't like the park idea. It seems that's what the city is doing all over. Let's just put a park here. Midtown Superblock idea is now just a park. It seems like a boring idea. Discovery Green was a great idea because it replaced the parking lots that were there before, but when they start talking about doing this in all places, it makes it seem quite drab.

 

Why not something a little more exciting? Like the intermodal station idea with an outdoor public gathering plaza, the largest hotel idea, the indoor ski resort, and what the hell ever happened to the movie studio idea of 2009/2010 timeframe? I guess a park is the next best thing from a parking lot though. I just don't want all of our landmark areas to be parks. Pretty soon, we're going to be know as graseland city. Parks can be overdone too!

 

I don't know, when you just say park, it does sound really boring.

 

But, when you say vines and ivy, and lots of hanging plants from the superstructure (how awesome would it be to have trees floating in the air where the hanging speakers were, for example), you start getting into something that would be absolutely unique to Houston.

 

And with the right lighting on everything, this would be an amazing night time spot.

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I don't know, when you just say park, it does sound really boring.

But, when you say vines and ivy, and lots of hanging plants from the superstructure (how awesome would it be to have trees floating in the air where the hanging speakers were, for example), you start getting into something that would be absolutely unique to Houston.

And with the right lighting on everything, this would be an amazing night time spot.

I agree. Could be an amazing performance space also. You could rig a sound and lighting system unlike any other outdoor amphitheater.

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I agree. Could be an amazing performance space also. You could rig a sound and lighting system unlike any other outdoor amphitheater.

 

It could be all these things. A "park" doesn't have to be just grass and trees. Ryan Slatterly's proposal may be my favorite so far. Although, if you added one thing, it might actually work. Build parking under the park. \

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I was just looking at the street course layout for the Indycar race there this Oct. it got me thinking where all the course was going so I google mapped it. Now to my question in the google satelite view I see what looks like a round domed stadium right next to Reliant Stadium, is that the Astro Dome or have they tore down the Astro Dome?    

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Another radio talk show host, this time out of Beaumont 560 AM yesterday stated that he remembers as a child attending Colt 45 ball games in the old Buff stadium. Is it just that they were too young to really remember it right or are their brains fried from too many radio waves. No Colt 45 games was ever played at Buff stadium that I am aware of. I'm 58 years old and I remember the Colt 45 stadium. The stadium was just a metal bleacher type with wooden benches and was located on the north end of what is now Reliant Park. You could see the dome being erected from the seats in the out field.

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That slightly mischaracterizes it, I think. USC has apparently approached HCSCC with an "idea". They are gonna vote on whether to agree to a nondisclosure agreement in order to hear the idea(s) USC claims to have.

Ah ok. I wasn't quite understanding what they were trying to say

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