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ArchFan

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  1. ArchFan
    Very nice pics. I like this building a lot, even tho' it doesn't have a major impact on the DT skyline from most angles. I think most of us expected that, anyway. In another location, away from so many other tall buildings, it would really stand out. I'd like to think that the parties behind this building will be rewarded for their willingness to invest in good design ... which might motivate others (when the market improves) to take that into consideration, as well.
  2. ArchFan
    Turns out it's a parking garage. Unless the other structures abutting it were torn down, the only access would be from the Hilton Inn parking lot. So ... my guess is it's additional parking for the Inn. Are people aware that The Mens Club used to be a bowling alley? Some buildings in Houston actually do get converted to other uses instead of being torn down!
  3. ArchFan
    I'm not crazy about the design of this Westin, either, but it could be worse (considering what's next door). For some reason, Houston hotel architecture tends to have an on-the-cheap look compared to properties managed by the same chains elsewhere. But ... I suppose if the audience for Houston hotels demanded more, nicer ones would be designed and built. (Side comment: I've always thought it was a shame that -- especially with our subtropical climate -- hotel pool areas here are small and situated in bleak concrete spaces, completely uninviting. The only exception I can think of would be the pool that once existed at the old Shamrock Hotel.) I assume if the developers continue with the plan to have some of the Westin space allocated to condos, their most likely demographic would be well-to-do Memorial-area residents who are getting older and might appreciate proximity to a major health-care facility. I would have considered that for my own parents, if it had been there earlier.
  4. ArchFan
    From what I can see in the initial rendering, if you were to take away the decorative Moebius strip, it would look like just another graceless concrete bridge-on-stilts. I.e., the typical Houston bridge-over-the-bayou or freeway overpass. (The only exception I can think of is the Main Street Viaduct.) It would be more interesting if the bridge supports mimicked the curvature of the superstructure in some fashion.
  5. ArchFan
    I agree, I think we need to give HP time. I wasn't impressed with the Denver Pavilions when it opened, and frankly, I'm still not all that impressed. However, downtown Denver has gradually gotten better and better over the years since the 16th Street Mall opened. So much so, that the DP is just another part of the whole scene, not the focal point. My sense is that the redevelopment of the LoDo area has been the biggest positive force in downtown Denver. Unfortunately, Houston doesn't have as big a reservoir of interesting 100-year-old brick-or-stone-clad buildings downtown. Despite that, I think if we continue to get a variety of interesting redevelopments downtown -- not necessarily all big ones -- I think Houston will do well.
  6. ArchFan
    Yes, very nice pics, thanks! I've always enjoyed the old Gulf Building, but from seeing ChannelTwoNews' pic from a window there, I hafta wonder how long it will be before chunks of mortar and/or masonry will be raining down on the sidewalks below! That stuff's been up for for, what, almost 80 years now?
  7. ArchFan
    Has anyone commented on how the crown looks like one of those old roof-vent turbines ... or even better, a rotary drill? If it's a robot, I can imagine it inverting itself to burrow into the ground -- in which case, the lack of obvious arms would have the advantage of reducing drag. 'Course, those big shoulders would be a problem, too, but if it were a Transformer it could pull those inward. The idea of the building being a Transformer got me to thinking ... anyone remember "Atragon", the 1963 Japanese sci-fli flick? Atragon was a submarine that flew, but could also drill through the earth using a suspiciously similar-looking drill. Not sure if I should post it here (copywrite), but here's a site with a pic: www.abtdvd.com/archives/dvdatragon.jpg. It even has the same blades attached to the shiny conical drill!
  8. ArchFan
    Sounds like the folks who bought north-facing units at The Cosmo will soon be looking out at a wall of glass, instead of the panoramic views they have now. But, I guess that should be no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to all the projects proposed in this area. On the plus side for those folks, tho', I imagine 5 Oaks will increase demand for condos nearby. Not having to fight the traffic makes this a much more enjoyable place to live and work.
  9. ArchFan
    Some parts of our city have terrrific old live oaks that really lend character to their setting. There are also a few (much fewer, actually) places where palm trees do too, but provide a different feel. Highland Village is a nice example. Some palm varieties planted here are aren't that attractive, though. Those are often the kind installed as lonely sentinals in the middle of vast concrete wastelands. In general, palms here seem be be more susceptible to poor planting and lack of maintainance. I'm seeing more really attractive use of cypress trees here. I think they're pretty cool-looking even when they're bare in winter. For the city as a whole, I agree with urban foresters that warn against cultivating an oak-tree monoculture (for one thing, because of the possibility of losing them to a species-specific disease). Spreading live oaks are beautiful, but not so much when Centerpoint or CoH buzz-cut the ones too near power lines and roads into weird topiary shapes. A lot of those were planted as small trees in inappropriate places, without any foresight as to whether they had room to grow. I'd vote for having a variety, with some thought also put into planting stuff that's most well-suited to each location.
  10. ArchFan
    Awhile back, people commented on the big, blank concrete walls enveloping the garage at the base of this building. After regularly walking by it during construction, I was also getting the feeling this would be another unfriendly neighbor to passers-by. Today I was happy to notice a metal framework going up on the east side of the garage wall facing Post Oak. So, perhaps the water feature indicated on the earlier renderings will finally make its appearance. Hopefully they'll also do something (ivy, at least) about the south side, which has a bigger blank expanse of concrete. Otherwise, the tower seems to have come off well. The area might seem a little crowded once the proposed office highrise goes up just north, where the health club is now located ... and The Titan goes up across Post Oak.
  11. ArchFan
    Has this building reminded anyone else of the Shamrock Hilton? I.e., designed to impress, but not really doing a good job of it. Anyway, once the comparison came to mind, I started to think that they even look alike. The (to me) ungainly proportions, the setbacks ... and now even the crown on the MH tower seems reminiscent of the huge sign that sat atop the Shamrock. It was certainly homely, but I have to admit I have a sort of nostalgic fondness for the Shamrock now that it's gone. So ... maybe those of us who don't like this new building will eventually find some things to like about it (I hope).
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