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bobruss

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Everything posted by bobruss

  1. bobruss
    I wanted to pass along a great vantage point to catch the whole skyline in one image. You need a driver so you can concentrate on the view, but it"s worth the effort. Go over the 610 east bridge over the ship channel. The best approach would be from north to south. Everything melts into one giant skyline and you can truly capture the size and magnitude of our exploding skyline. Its all there downtown, TMC, Greenway Plaza, Uptown, Memorial City, Citi Center, and everything in between.
  2. bobruss
    I hate to break it to you but I know of at least one right now. Exxon
  3. bobruss
    This would be outstanding and it would give a little more mass and balance to the east side of Main.
  4. bobruss
    So I guess every large development is going to be challenged by neighborhood groups for money or special perks from now on. I'm sorry but I just don't understand how this has anything to do with Rice University and the third ward. Why does Rice owe anyone anything. They are improving a dead zone that had no one living in it and now they are being squeezed. I just don't get it.
  5. bobruss
    Thats a very old sign. Thats one that will eventually get developed but they have a hard time pulling the trigger.
  6. bobruss
    Are these complainers, the same people who live in the Astoria by any chance?
  7. bobruss
    What do they do with all of those buildings when they find the cure?
  8. bobruss
    What a great skyline shot pm91. I think this image makes a great case for the best skyline view of downtown. The view coming in on 45 north at sunset is pretty remarkable, however what I really like about this angle is the amount of depth you see from this side. Not only do you catch glimpses of almost every modern building built, but you're also looking at all of the classic's like the Gulf, the Espersen, Bank of the Southwest, Southwest Life, State National Bank and many of the Main street turn of the century work. I like the symmetry of slopes in the wider angle image. I sure wouldn't mind something in the 90's behind the Esperson bldg. The massing of the two major groups are much more interesting to me, than the flatness of the view from Allen parkway, and as a bonus, you get Minute Maid park, home of the A.L. champs 2021.
  9. bobruss
    If you enlarge this last image you really get a great reveal on how the new Gillete St. tower is going to alter and expand the skyline.
  10. bobruss
    Amazing, it looks very much like the rendering. I'm impressed. It's impressive to see what a successful art development can do for an area. My first studio back in 1986, was just east of Winter studios and on the corner of Silver, Summer, Winter White Streets. There was no A.C., and I entered one weekend, to find six bullet holes on the end of the building. The neighborhood has definitely changed. It backed up to the tracks behind the Silver Eagle facilities, that are now a very popular venue for a multitude of events. The area around Sawyer Yards has exploded with some well thought out projects, repurposing old structures, to combine with new construction to make a cohesive walkable neighborhood. I can't wait to walk through this area once this project is complete with people living there. What's also nice is the number of buildings dedicated to artist studios scattered around the neighborhood. Should really make the overall neighborhood a very fun area to live and play in.
  11. bobruss
    I was driving around this part of downtown this morning, and south of the convention center and to the east every street in that area has 72" pipe parked on both sides of the street for countless blocks. Obviously this is staging for a major water project. I haven't found anything on this and thought someone could enlighten. Thanks
  12. bobruss
    The campus just gets more defined and unified every day. With the completion of the western end of the inner loop around the newly landscaped, Brockman Hall for Opera, the Moody Center for the Arts, the Turrell Skyspace, Autry Court and the new Kraft Hall for Social Science, it has really solidified the southwestern edge of campus. It will be exciting to see how the new student center by Adjaye will fit into the mix, being at the center of the universe. The new murals are a nice addition. I recognize the black and white floral drawing to be by Karin Broker, a longtime professor of Printmaking, Drawing and Dramatic Arts at Rice. She's won numerous awards and has been shown in Houston by McClain gallery. I'm not familiar with the other artists work but both are amazing. I also can't wait for the new Abercrombie Science Laboratory to complete that plaza. Last I wonder what's in store for the northwestern quadrant of intramural fields.
  13. bobruss
    Actually after another look it also reminds me of Tatlins Tower.
  14. bobruss
    Reminds me of an Escher print.
  15. bobruss
    This project was doomed after they changed architecture firms. I have a friend who was the lead for this project and they couldn't get the developer to moved and then It went dormant for several years. The developer came back and changed firms, and the scope and vision were completely redirected or misdirected. Originally they were going to have several prominent firms designs an urban cluster of mid to high rise buildings that would create a walkable area, but unfortunately they scrapped all of the good stuff and went with this abomination. If I never hear the words, " it's better that a vacant lot" again, I'll be so happy. This won't go away soon. We're stuck with mediocrity for the next fifty years, and unfortunately they own a whole lot of land in this neighborhood. Its going to be the stucco capital of Houston when they get done, and has the makings of a dated Three Fountains apartments area on Fountain View.
  16. bobruss
    I think these plans are right. The park will be much smaller than it currently is and they will be adding phase two to the east side of current park and phase 3 on the Richmond side or southern side of the existing lot. There is a letter that has been sent out to the residents and I have a copy. It says the project will be low key. the building will follow the campus height of 2 stories and they will require the hotel to keep the signage and the outdoor lighting at a minimum. They also say that they will expect the property to keep a low profile as far as outdoor music and the like. This is definitely going to be an extremely popular destination for art collectors around the world interested in spending a long weekend in Houston touring the world class art institutes in the Montrose area. If you haven't seen the article in Travel and Leisure you should Google. It says Houston with the addition of the new Kinder building and the Menil campus Houston has become the new Mecca for Art in America. Great article. Several collector tour groups have already established artist studio visits to possibly buy Houston artists works this fall.
  17. bobruss
    Not necessarily.
  18. bobruss
    The property to the east of this just seems like a no mans land. I'm surprised that nothing has been done with it.
  19. bobruss
    Official Time Out.
  20. bobruss
    Nothing else in downtown Houston compares to this elevation. The slight angles of the western edge give the building a delightful and playful alternative to the other boxes downtown. I cant get enough of the verticals in the horizontal grid.
  21. bobruss
    I like what this tower and the other [6] new residential towers does for the northeast view coming in on 59 N and I -10 east.
  22. bobruss
    Looks like the Alley needs another bath.
  23. bobruss
    The Houston Zoo was just named one of the top 9 zoo's in the U.S., by Travel & Leisure magazine.
  24. bobruss
    Maintenance - If you drive down Main, you will see the nice new steel street signs are largely damaged. Landscaping does not look maintained. If we want to see the area improve, we cannot allow for the money and effort fall to waste. Do you think maybe they're spending all of the money that would normally go for maintenance, to buy up properties in Third ward. Actually the maintenance along the rail lines are probably under the jurisdiction of Metro. Since they've had no paying riders for the last year I'm sure their budget is far from adequate to do maintenance and a lot of the plantings they had died in the freeze. So I'll give them a break on that. It does look very sad along the lines with all of the dead plants and the disrepair in some parts.
  25. bobruss
    One thing it does is create a wonderful layered textural wall that had gaps before they built the Brava. It fills in the gap that was between Market Square Tower and Republic Calpine buildings from the east and north like coming in from 59 north or I10 east. Brava's eastern facade is much more exciting than the western side. I think this is definitely the most exciting small highrises to be added to our skyline in a long time. One of the nice things about viewing from the northeast is you can still see both the Esperson and the Gulf buildings, while enjoying all the shiny new toys on the north east side of town. It will also be interesting to see what the new 42 story high rise does to the eastern skyline.
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