Stone

Yes, I’ve always considered this a solid 50-story tower. Not simply rounding up, rather, the specific design and height of the crown adds 3 stories to the 47.

Similarly, I consider 609 Main to be 50 stories with a total height of 53 stories (not the 48 office floors officially listed). Casual observers would never know the first 2 “floors” of the 5 story crown are only mechanical and unoccupied. 

I was referring to the glass in the small 4 floor cut out of the podium which cannot be seen in the rendering you posted here. Only the metal screening covering the garage is shown here. 

Haven’t seen any comments here on the glass already being installed in the cut out section of the podium.

It appears to be a lot darker than what I imagined. It looks to be black instead of the blue-ish gray that we are use to seeing on Hines’ Texas Tower and 609 Main. 

2 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

What???  Was that lighting scheme shown in any of the renderings?

I don’t  recall seeing any nighttime renderings but the daytime renderings seemed to indicate the lighting.  It’s really bright at night with all 4 floors lit up.
 

They were testing the lights when I snapped those photos but all 4 floors have been lit every night for the past couple weeks. 

I took this photo back in June and was intrigued with the apparent “spider web” like pattern highlighted by the sun within the translucent tubes. 

Something has always looked off to me as the stacked vertical tubes meet - the abutting seams just look dark and unfinished. Could there actually be a film covering the clear glass tubes? 👀

I doubt it, but it’s interesting speculation nonetheless.  

On 7/18/2020 at 8:59 PM, db650 said:

Nice but looks so similar to neighboring Hanover. A little strange to have this be the site of a classic French inn too.

 
I love this building’s classic look. It’s Handsome and Solid! The architect was intentional in trying to avoid a total clash with the existing tower but don’t let that one angle in the last photo fool you, it’s far different from the Hanover next door.
 

The best part is no 2  sides of this building look exactly alike. 

Is that mostly brick or stucco in the rendering? 

With the illuminated crown, I always round to 50 as well. But if you think about it, the mechanical floor and crown add the illusion of another 4 floors, so this sucker is actually 51 “stories” tall!

Just to keep me from jumping off the ledge, PLEASE tell me the rest of the paint is back-ordered due to COVID -19 and it will be here in 2-3 weeks!!!!!!!? 😩

Yes there was lots of talk and plans of a Monorail in Houston way back in the 80s when Kathy Whitmire was mayor. I believe we even had a vote on it, which failed. 

Although rail is supposedly innovative and  sexier, if I’m really being honest with myself, I love the fact that we have the BRT lanes and new streetscape WITHOUT all the overhead electric wiring that comes with light rail. I personally think that’s unattractive.
 

10-15 years ago I was one of the main proponents of light but after having lived around it downtown and midtown for years, there’s nothing really “light” about it. Whenever I’m near it and the Metrorail approaches, feels like simple heavy train tracks to me and certainly doesn’t feel safe for pedestrians walking nearby (especially on Friday/Saturday nights when many of those pedestrians are slightly inebriated).

I’ve also lived in Atlanta and I prefer the RAPID heavy rail - separated from traffic, separated from pedestrians - that moves people quickly around the city to jobs and out to the airport.
 

I personally don’t care if they ever build another light rail line in Houston unless we use it more like heavy rail (which is possible)! It should not travel from midtown down Richmond Ave to the Galleria with 10-15 stops it should travel 50mph  down the old abandoned rail lines along Westpark with a single stop (or 2) near Greenway Plaza. RAPID TRANSIT! 
 

I just realized those furred out balcony-like sections on both long sides of the building are actually “off-set”, meaning not centered or symmetrical with each other. I think this makes the building more architecturally appealing.