gto250us

As much as I hate the style of downtown Federal Court House, I do like the spiffing up that it is getting. They are painting the window frames Red. I don't know who came up with the design with little tiny windows, perhaps some government architech. What do you think?

Jones Hall is the only theatre its size in Houston. It seats 2,911. Sarofim Hall is close at 2,650, Brown Theatre in Wortham seats 2,255 max. It is unfortunate that the restroom locations and numbers are from an earlier era, though remodeling has helped. Still, I see long lines for the women's restrooms at all the larger, newer, venues in the city. Mine, too. I'm not sure there's any way around it.

What would a better hall for the Houston Symphony look like? I've already touched on the shape and size in my previous post. Ideally there would be more storage space (the HSO rents a warehouse now) and better loading dock access. A pipe organ would be nice, and possibly seating behind the stage for a chorus. Maybe wider variability of acoustics. Aside from that, I can't add very much.

How about a modernized replica of Boston's Symphony Hall.

As for the location. I can hear the flamers now. How about tearing down that ugly Federal Courthouse and put it there. Move the Feds to the courthouse district and get rid of that piece of Soviet architecture.

I find it ironic that some people on this forum dub Houston the "tear down capital of the world" yet advocate tearing down Jones Hall. I agree that the facility is outdated with poor restroom facilities. I much prefer Hobby over Jones. But we need to be more mindful of our aging buildings. This mentality tore down the gems of the past. All buildings age. Jones is architecturally significant and, in my opinion, should be preserved.

I agree. But I don't recall anyone saying that Jones Hall should be torn down. I only suggested that a better hall may need to be built.

Yeah, you may be right. Relocating I45? I guess they could put I-45 & the Pierce Elevated underground, a la Boston. In fact I am surprised that Culberson has not appropriated a bizillion dollars to do just that.

On a similar tangent. What about the relocation of the downtown PO? Is that pie in sky or realistic? The Buffalo Bayou folks have a master plan with the site as a festival site. That must be wishful thinking.

The thread still exists.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...mp;#entry194533

As for my thoughts, my thoughts are that Hardy Yards is no more dead today than it was the last time you posted this in July. The land is still there. It is still remediated. It has not reached its expiration date. You are confusing the fact that no one has yet decided to pay the price to acquire the property with dead. When someone comes up with both a plan and the financing, this project will magically come to life.

My other thought is to wonder why this couldn't go in the Hardy Yards thread.

Too lazy to find the old thread. No big deal.

Actually, the discussion that I wanted to start concerns the removal of the HPD-HFD garages and not actually Hardy Yards. The area around the garages is currently being developed and it seems to me that the city has a prime piece of property in that area which may be sold for a price that would go along way to paying to relocate the garages and warehouses. I don't actually think that the city would do that, but I am interested in the discussion.

There was a thread regarding the Hardy Yards development which is now pretty much dead, from what I have heard. That location seems like a good place to move all of the HPD and HFD garages and warehouses. Moving that stuff would allow for additonal development around the Elder Street lofts area, which now cluttered by all those lousy garages. Any thoughts?

if THEY can afford it great. if they were in a facility where nothing has been done, i could understand. But money has been spent to hire acoustic architects for the renovation.

Houston Symphony Society President Ed Wulfe noted,

There is no doubt in my mind that this skatepark would be a good thing. You can see a fair amount of damage to various buildings around town due to skateboarders. One that comes to mind is the Wells Fargo building on Louisianna.

My question is this, does anyone know if any skaters have ever been charged with illegal skating or damaging property? I haven't.

when an 80+ yr old man sings without amplification and you can hear him clearly.....doesn't sound dead to me.

if someone can't find the restroom or climb stairs....i'll bet they must dread the task of finding their vehicle upon leaving.

this reviewer sure likes it.

From the Houston Symphony Mission Statement

"Develop a more intimate and acoustically superior orchestral concert hall and music center"

Does anyone remember the Urban Animals? They were a pack of skaters who would tear around downtown on skates, usually at night. Are they still around?

i disagree. in the 90's all accomodations were made ADA compliant. 1994 through 2000 saw improvements including a new orchestra shell, audio system, HVAC systems replacement among other incremental improvements.

i'm not sure what a poor restroom facility is but seems no one had problems when i went to see tony bennett a month or so ago. The concert was great and during the concert tony commented on the acoustics. he loved them so much that he had them turn off the audio system and do a song without amplification.

There are severe dead zones with the acoustics. Especially for the seats under the loge section.

Restrooms are hidden in the basement and require a fulltime guide to be posted to help folks find them. And if you have a hard time doing stairs it is very difficult.

Does anyone out there think that it is time to replace Jones Hall?

Jones Hall was built in 1966 and suffers from many shortcomings. Among them are:

Very poor acoustics - Just ask the musicians who play there. Houston has a world class symphony who should be playing in a world class hall.

Very poor accommodations for the handicapped. Just try to get the the upper rows if you cannot walk well.

Very poor restroom facilities.

Poor - cramped backstage and technical facilities.

I am surprised that they are keeping and renovating that crappy old Radison Hotel.

I was in Boy Scouts for about 2 weeks. It sucked. I didn't put up with other idiot, older kids telling me what to do, when they didn't have a clue. Too much like the Army. We leaned about the outdoors without the help of clueless adults.

If a T-38 can accidentally land at T49 (LaPorte) instead of EFD I think the answer must be yes.

They had to tow him back to EFD down Fairmont Parkway and SH3.

Did you hear about the two Aggies who were coming in to land at an airport?. They got lined up with the run way and came on down. Just before touchdown, the pilot pulled up sharply and said, "Not gonna work. We need to go around a try again." That they did and again they came down and sharply pulled up to try again. This went on for a couple of more times. Now they were running low on fuel and decided that this time they need to make it or it's curtains. So, down they come, they hit the runway, slam on breaks and come to a halt just before the fence. The pilot says "Man that has got to be the shortest runway ever." His co-pilot looks out the side window and says, "She sure is short, but it must be at least 8,000 feet wide."

One way to find out what is going on, is to go running out your door, down the street, screaming at the top of you lungs. It always works for me.

All I can say about Phoenix is that, compared to Houston, everything was newer - thus giving it a "cleaner" appearance. They have just as many strip-malls and other undesirable architectural turds in that town as we do though.

If it weren't for the good looking women in Scottsdale & Tempe (read: ASU), I'm not sure what that town would have to offer.

Phoenix shouldn't even exist. They don't have the resources (read water) to support all those folks but they keep on developing like there is no tomorrow.

I figured I would create a new topic. Does anybody know the history of the Wedge Tower? Clearly there was a garage attached at one time. When did it come down? For what reason?

Also, I've been told that the owner (builder) of the Wedge filed bankruptcy in the 80s with the real estate collapse, and made an apartment on the top floor where the restaurant now is. He tried to keep the building by claiming it as his homestead. He eventually lost that battle.

That builder was the one and only Vince Kickerillo.

From what I hear this project is now DEAD, thanks to Metro. Metro TOOK something like 12 acres of the 46 acre Hardy Yards project though emanate domain, thus screwing the development company.

The airport opened in June 1969.

We heard this before when the Legislature was discussing the need for horse racing. That issue was passed and now we have race tracks at various places around the state that have a hard time drawing a crowd.

Just a few weeks ago the gov decided that we should sell the Texas Lottery. And not too long ago the state fought tooth and nail with the Indians over a casino. Those idiots in Austin can't seem to make up their mind on anything worthwhile.

They better not pull a HP's on us though and remove some on the residential portions.

It is an easy bus ride to downtown from Town & County, that's not too far.

As if this is news. Anyone who has ever been to that part of town would tell you this. DAH. ... It is one of the most polluted areas of the country.

The Coliseum in Rome is showing its age but I don't know about Stalinist appeal... I suppose you could say it has concrete chic though

How do you think about the Boston City Hall. Another, monument to concrete that has often been named the ugliest building in the world.

It seems that every city has it's example of Concrete Chique. They all have a Stalinist appeal. Unfortunately Alley theater is showing it's age.