Museum Of Fine Arts Houston At 1001 Bissonnet St.

[slcowart416]

9 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

From Steven Holl’s webpage for the building:

 

 

I like how the Bissonnet-facing wall seems to follow the curve of the existing building.

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 12, 2019 by Timoric

[bobruss]

56 minutes ago, Timoric said:

Houston has some nice trees around the buildings

 

Thats one of the things out of town visitors always seem to mention is How lush and green Houston is. 

It's our best natural feature. And if you look at old pictures of Houston, you'll notice that most of the trees were planted by us.

There were natural pine forests but the majority of other trees were added. Thank goodness.

 

[august948]

On 2/16/2019 at 2:01 PM, bobruss said:

 

Thats one of the things out of town visitors always seem to mention is How lush and green Houston is. 

It's our best natural feature. And if you look at old pictures of Houston, you'll notice that most of the trees were planted by us.

There were natural pine forests but the majority of other trees were added. Thank goodness.

 

 

Especially if they've never been to Texas before.  You'd be surprised how many people think all of Texas is like west Texas. 

[bobruss]

The view of the building from Montrose, up through the Kapoor sculpture, is informative. You can see the curve of the roof and how that curvature will define the space. It's not yet visible in the side facing the Mies wing.

[wilcal]

On 2/16/2019 at 2:01 PM, bobruss said:

 

Thats one of the things out of town visitors always seem to mention is How lush and green Houston is. 

It's our best natural feature. And if you look at old pictures of Houston, you'll notice that most of the trees were planted by us.

There were natural pine forests but the majority of other trees were added. Thank goodness.

 

 

I took this from Hotel ZaZa two years ago. Unbelievably lush area

 

[bobruss]

This picture brings back a thought. Mike Douglas, besides being a producer of many game shows also had a very popular afternoon talk show. 

I happened to be watching it and Bob Hope was the guest.

For some of you Bob Hope was a famous comedian who made road show movies with Bing Crosby, and toured the world entertaining our troops.

Mike Douglas asked Bob what was the most beautiful place in all of his travels in the world. 

Hope looked up at Mike, and said, "the view from the Warwick Hotel, now ZAZA, with the beautiful fountains and the boulevards with all of the trees."

Mike Douglas just about fell out of his chair. But Bob said no it is simply a beautiful place with all of those trees. 

I couldn't believe it either. I was blown away that he would say Houston.

[august948]

8 minutes ago, bobruss said:

This picture brings back a thought. Mike Douglas, besides being a producer of many game shows also had a very popular afternoon talk show. 

I happened to be watching it and Bob Hope was the guest.

For some of you Bob Hope was a famous comedian who made road show movies with Bing Crosby, and toured the world entertaining our troops.

Mike Douglas asked Bob what was the most beautiful place in all of his travels in the world. 

Hope looked up at Mike, and said, "the view from the Warwick Hotel, now ZAZA, with the beautiful fountains and the boulevards with all of the trees."

Mike Douglas just about fell out of his chair. But Bob said no it is simply a beautiful place with all of those trees. 

I couldn't believe it either. I was blown away that he would say Houston.

 

It makes me feel old to think that you'd have to describe who Bob Hope was...

[dbigtex56]

On 2/16/2019 at 2:01 PM, bobruss said:

 

Thats one of the things out of town visitors always seem to mention is How lush and green Houston is. 

It's our best natural feature. And if you look at old pictures of Houston, you'll notice that most of the trees were planted by us.

There were natural pine forests but the majority of other trees were added. Thank goodness.

 

Agree wholeheartedly, with a caveat.
Several year ago I read an article (sorry, can't recall the source) about the risks of planting trees all of the same type, especially in close proximity to one another.
There are diseases that are deadly to specific trees. Per sources cited on Wikipedia "It is estimated that between 3 and 4 billion American chestnut trees were destroyed in the first half of the 20th century by blight after its initial discovery in 1904." 
Also: "In the 19th and early 20th century, American elm was a common street and park tree owing to its tolerance of urban conditions, rapid growth, and graceful form. This however led to extreme overplanting of the species, especially to form living archways over streets, which ultimately produced an unhealthy monoculture of elms that had no resistance to disease and pests."
I vividly remember when Dutch Elm Disease wiped out all the elm trees that graced East Ave. in Rochester, NY. The loss was sudden and dramatic; what was once a lovely tree-shaded corridor became a naked expanse seemingly overnight.
Imagine the effects if a disease specific to the live oak was to hit Houston. Our lush landscape would become a barren prairie. It is in our best interest to plant a variety of trees to help mitigate such a disaster.
Debbie Downer out.

[H-Town Man]

30 minutes ago, dbigtex56 said:

Agree wholeheartedly, with a caveat.
Several year ago I read an article (sorry, can't recall the source) about the risks of planting trees all of the same type, especially in close proximity to one another.
There are diseases that are deadly to specific trees. Per sources cited on Wikipedia "It is estimated that between 3 and 4 billion American chestnut trees were destroyed in the first half of the 20th century by blight after its initial discovery in 1904." 
Also: "In the 19th and early 20th century, American elm was a common street and park tree owing to its tolerance of urban conditions, rapid growth, and graceful form. This however led to extreme overplanting of the species, especially to form living archways over streets, which ultimately produced an unhealthy monoculture of elms that had no resistance to disease and pests."
I vividly remember when Dutch Elm Disease wiped out all the elm trees that graced East Ave. in Rochester, NY. The loss was sudden and dramatic; what was once a lovely tree-shaded corridor became a naked expanse seemingly overnight.
Imagine the effects if a disease specific to the live oak was to hit Houston. Our lush landscape would become a barren prairie. It is in our best interest to plant a variety of trees to help mitigate such a disaster.
Debbie Downer out.

 

I think it would hit the streets in/around Rice University pretty hard, as well as City Hall, but probably most of the oaks in Houston are post oaks or pin oaks. The devastation in Austin would be a lot worse, and Texas A&M's main campus would be virtually denuded.

 

[bobruss]

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

 

I think it would hit the streets in/around Rice University pretty hard, as well as City Hall, but probably most of the oaks in Houston are post oaks or pin oaks. The devastation in Austin would be a lot worse, and Texas A&M's main campus would be virtually denuded.

 

Actually one of our most common oaks,  planted along Main Street,  all downtown blocks, Rice University and along most roads are Live Oaks. 

It was the tree of choice for planting for years. When they did the Cotswold project in 2000, they used a wide variety of trees such as Sycamores and Texas Bald Cypress's.

Southampton has beautiful old Live Oaks and Sunset is canopied in Live Oaks. The Montrose areas streets are lined with Live Oaks.

 

 

[H-Town Man]

26 minutes ago, bobruss said:

Actually one of our most common oaks,  planted along Main Street,  all downtown blocks, Rice University and along most roads are Live Oaks. 

It was the tree of choice for planting for years. When they did the Cotswold project in 2000, they used a wide variety of trees such as Sycamores and Texas Bald Cypress's.

Southampton has beautiful old Live Oaks and Sunset is canopied in Live Oaks. The Montrose areas streets are lined with Live Oaks.

 

 

 

It is a favored decorative tree in Texas and the South and hence gets a lot of street plantings in the places we both mentioned. But I think the number of non-evergreen red oaks (post oaks and pin oaks) is greater. If you walk around undeveloped land in most of Houston, especially the north where you are out of the coastal prairie, you see a lot more post oaks.

 

[bobruss]

I'm sure you're right about the overall area. I'm just talking about Central Houston where most of the trees were added in developing streets neighborhoods and developments.

You're right about the tree blights that take such a toll on our forests. We had a terrible time with the pine bark beetle maybe a decade ago or more.

There is also a problem for live oaks but I can't remember what it is. Here in Houston we lose more to drought and hurricanes than anything.

 

[Timoric]

_

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2019 by Timoric

[Luminare]

44 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

 

It is a favored decorative tree in Texas and the South and hence gets a lot of street plantings in the places we both mentioned. But I think the number of non-evergreen red oaks (post oaks and pin oaks) is greater. If you walk around undeveloped land in most of Houston, especially the north where you are out of the coastal prairie, you see a lot more post oaks.

 

 

32 minutes ago, bobruss said:

I'm sure you're right about the overall area. I'm just talking about Central Houston where most of the trees were added in developing streets neighborhoods and developments.

You're right about the tree blights that take such a toll on our forests. We had a terrible time with the pine bark beetle maybe a decade ago or more.

There is also a problem for live oaks but I can't remember what it is. Here in Houston we lose more to drought and hurricanes than anything.

 

 

Oddly enough I learned its also code that dictates trees planted near corridors. Live Oaks are one of them. The selection is quiet narrow. The trees that can go with parking lots is also a little narrow. Was actually surprised by this during a recent project for a parking lot.

[H-Town Man]

1 hour ago, bobruss said:

I'm sure you're right about the overall area. I'm just talking about Central Houston where most of the trees were added in developing streets neighborhoods and developments.

You're right about the tree blights that take such a toll on our forests. We had a terrible time with the pine bark beetle maybe a decade ago or more.

There is also a problem for live oaks but I can't remember what it is. Here in Houston we lose more to drought and hurricanes than anything.

 

 

Oak wilt, I think. Scourge of many neighborhoods here in Austin.

 

[august948]

37 minutes ago, Timoric said:

I have a huge chestnut tree in my yard, came with the house, plan to chop it down this year - drops spikey balls and drops leaves an extra month after all the other trees are done. In addition to that, random 80 year old women come and beat it to get the nuts out without asking.

 

 

 

We had this happen to us with a fig tree we had planted in our front yard.  Was right next to the gate to our backyard, not even near the street.  Came out one day and found some passerby had walked all the way up to the backyard gate and was picking our figs.

[H-Town Man]

41 minutes ago, Timoric said:

I have a huge chestnut tree in my yard, came with the house, plan to chop it down this year - drops spikey balls and drops leaves an extra month after all the other trees are done. In addition to that, random 80 year old women come and beat it to get the nuts out without asking.

 

 

 

This sort of unregulated sharing of unwanted tree nuts goes by the name of "community" in some places. Let the tree live. Tolerate the 80-year-olds.

 

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 12, 2019 by Timoric

[mkultra25]

On 2/22/2019 at 9:10 AM, bobruss said:

This picture brings back a thought. Mike Douglas, besides being a producer of many game shows also had a very popular afternoon talk show. 

I happened to be watching it and Bob Hope was the guest.

For some of you Bob Hope was a famous comedian who made road show movies with Bing Crosby, and toured the world entertaining our troops.

Mike Douglas asked Bob what was the most beautiful place in all of his travels in the world. 

Hope looked up at Mike, and said, "the view from the Warwick Hotel, now ZAZA, with the beautiful fountains and the boulevards with all of the trees."

Mike Douglas just about fell out of his chair. But Bob said no it is simply a beautiful place with all of those trees. 

I couldn't believe it either. I was blown away that he would say Houston.

 

That is the first thing I thought about as well when I saw that picture. I can't find the exact quote, but I seem to recall Hope compared it to the Champs-Élysées.

[bobruss]

3 hours ago, mkultra25 said:

 

That is the first thing I thought about as well when I saw that picture. I can't find the exact quote, but I seem to recall Hope compared it to the Champs-Élysées.

Exactly

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[Highrise Tower]

Here's the ones I took today

 

 

 

[hindesky]

Does anyone know if a facade will be placed on here or is this the final look?

[danielsonr]

On 2/9/2019 at 4:33 PM, danielsonr said:

According to the MFAH website, mfah.org, the building will have the following features:

“• Gathered under a “luminous canopy” roof, the concave curves reference the billowing clouds that fill the “big sky” of Texas
• Vertical, translucent-glass tubes cladding the facades
• Two floors and 54,000 square feet of galleries circling a three-level atrium space, with the distinctive roof allowing natural light to flood the central spaces
• The 202-seat Lynn and Oscar Wyatt Theater; a restaurant; and a café
• Seven gardens and six reflecting pools inset along the building’s perimeter”

 

[rechlin]

From this afternoon:

 

 

[hindesky]

Glass going in.

[Luminare]

4 hours ago, hindesky said:

Glass going in.

 

That glazing system looks super expensive haha. One day...one day I'll be able to do this.

[DarklyMoron]

On 2/7/2019 at 1:23 PM, Luminare said:

 

From the renderings it looks like it will probably some kind of custom metal panel rain screen system. This would also give them enough room/space to add lighting within the screen itself giving it that "glowing" look they had in the nighttime render. Looked like the interior lobby spaces would be concrete.

It's actually a frosted glass of semi-circular columns. They had a mock-up at the art storage facility.