bachanon

except........that someone has seen a model  in the woodlands development company for 40ish story tower on super block east.  i'm not saying it was shell, no one knows who it is intended for or if it was simply to show that the land would support a floorplate for a 40ish story tower.  still, one wonders.

houston's cool factor for me has always been that it is anti-hip. if you're all style and no substance, we no likey!  if you dress like a slob and are uber-intelligent or artistic, we likey!  if you are a self-made millionaire; we get it if you drive an 25 year old impala.  we like contradictions.  we like it when your money and the things it buys do not define you.  we like it when having no money doesn't define you either; you still look like a million bucks (from buffalo exchange or homemade clothes).  houstonians, at least my favorite houstonians, like what they like, peer pressure or social constructs be damned.

 

at the lunar and planetary institute's annual shindig in the woodlands last week, i overheard one of the attendees say "houston's hot right now".  i felt a little proud and then a little worried.

 

a recent article in texas monthly said something along the lines of: houston is a first rate city and just doesn't know it (the writer then slams dallas for not knowing it has always been a second rate city thinking too highly of itself).  ....after some research, i realize i shouldn't try to remember things.

 

"If I were to anatomize the six major cities more or less in order of urban merit, I would now put Houston first by a large margin: it’s a great city. Next would come Austin and Fort Worth. The latter has those three world-class museums, plus that glorious livestock exchange building over by the Stockyards, and Austin has a music scene that has nurtured both my son, James, and my grandson, Curtis, not to mention the ebullient Kinky Friedman and many another gifted bard. Dallas I haven’t enjoyed since the sixties, when I could still scout books at the Harper’s big bookshop in Deep Ellum, where my son now often performs. Dallas is a second-rate city that wishes it were first-rate."  http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/horsemen-goodbye

 

i'm afraid if houston becomes too self-aware, and it may already be too late, we are doomed to the unfounded pride of our brethren to the north. 

https://www.facebook.com/HoustonArchitecture

 

"Like" it and then add it to an interest list.  I created an "architecture"  and a "houston" interest list on my personal facebook page.  HAIF, along with Preservation Houston, ArCH, Rice Design Alliance, cite, etc., are on my interest lists.  When I want to peruse a specific interest area, all of the posts from my favorite "Liked" sites are pulled together in one newsfeed, separate from all of the other "noise" that can plague the world of facebook.

 

Currently, we have 811 Likes.

 

If you frequent facebook and haven't added HAIF to your interest lists, check it out. 

It's the Fort Worth of Houston---or looks like it anyway.

 

after a quick check: ft. worth's CBD contains 9.9 million square feet of office space; the woodlands development contains 7.9 million square feet of office space.  although not an apples to apples comparison, the whole of the woodlands' office space will come close to the size of downtown ft. worth in the near future.

i'm imagining a twenty story tower to the right of anadarko II (10 waterway) and a 40ish story tower (rumored to be on the east super block) in between anadarko I & II from this perspective.  not to get off topic, but with that view i thought it worth mentioning.

 

i was taking a picture of the sears demo (yay nordie's).  anadarko I & II are in the background.  this was taken earlier this week.

you're probably right lockmat.  i don't want to go back to the website, but i think you are correct.  i didn't want to miss an opportunity to diss the building again.  

.........................  kinda cool video of downtown midland from the website listed earlier in this thread

 

darn, somebody beat me to it!  

linbeck developed the uber ugly embassy suites downtown.......not encouraging. 

with all of that open space, and extreme weather at times, why go tall?  i like a sleek new high rise as much as your average HAIFer, but in midland?

maybe the building is going to open the tunnels to street level in a way we have not seen before?  two level retail that opens street level and at the tunnel level would be perfect.

Clearly a sign that Apple is relocating their entire workforce to Houston and that this is the first of many buildings planned.

 

hahahaha!  smiling is fun.  it's my favorite.  any retail on street level will be nice.  who knows.

This site has more renderings. Not as flattering from the side. http://www.coydavidson.com/office/hines-new-houston-office-tower/

 

there is a downloadable brochure at the link above.  i like the building much better now that i can see the other angles.  ten stories taller please!

excellent!!

any news on this?

i get it now.  texas is to the far left and runs between the rice and the new structure.  the building opens up to main street and the building directly across the street (the empty flat spot in the foreground) would have blocked this view and is; therefore, removed for the view point.

 

eastern views of downtown just keep getting better.

the location in the rendering makes the on the same side of the street as the rice; whereas, block 69 is across the street from the rice.  am i wrong?

no doubt this release is motivated by a potential client or clients.  i wonder if the release of the rendering to bivens would have any effect on potential competitors?  

mr. bivens says it "may be taller" than 41 stories.

HELLLLLLO!

lockmat, the rendering looked all glass, different than the aesthetic for 24 waterway and the new hotel.

Ed saw a presentation where they said the condo project "keeps getting bigger"

 

actually, that was me at the conference today.  the new condo rendering looked sleeker, but could be a preliminary drawing as to how to make it bigger.  second condo tower is being discussed too, possibly at hughes landing.

 

 

anadarko I & II

although the building itself is dated, the rooms are top notch, not to mention the rooms with a view of town lake and downtown. the interior has been renovated recently and it looks sharp.…

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although the building itself is dated, the rooms are top notch, not to mention the rooms with a view of town lake and downtown. the interior has been renovated recently and it looks sharp.…

View the full article