bobruss

does anyone know if they are planning on reopening the Byzantine Fresco Chapel in the new master plan? i know the frescos went back to Cyprus or wherever, but it looked like it was a neat chapel and seems like they could house something else in it.

They are in discussions to use the space for long extended exhibits.

Apparently Francois Menil was not interested in seeing the space used for anything else since he designed it specifically for the Byzantine frescoes, but over time this solution seems agreeable.

I'd like to see what James Turrell could come up with.

It has a retractable roof already. That's how they extracted the frescoes.

I know this is off topic but since there is a discussion about facades being altered, I'd like to mention a building that is old and has a very brutal exterior that was added in the early sixties. I have seen pictures and vaguely remember it from my childhood the old Sears building in Midtown. I wish they would remove the siding and allow that building to live in its old glory.

If anyone can post an image of it from its heyday I think everyone would agree that it needs back its original facade and a new life,

Other than a Sears which doesn't seem to be doing that well. It could be repurposed for many different activities.

They are planning to tear them all down but in phases. Those apts. represent a lot of revenue and they will keep as many as possible until a time when they can afford to turn the remaining space into some kind of commercial space that is in keeping with the overall campus. Definitely no hi rises.

You don't mean they are tearing out part of the Piano designed museum out? I'm not clear on what you just posted bobruss?

No, I was referring to the Richmont apartments. I live in one of the Menil houses that the apartments back up to. From what I could tell from the talk is they will redo the parking lot and cafe first while waiting for final plans for the drawing center, and I think they will build the drawing center in the area of the old n.w. Corner of the apartments and open up the fence next to the Twombley building to create a promenade to connect drawing center and Richmond Hall to the campus. They also have plans for another Twombley type space for another star artist they are courting. They also want to build a lecture hall eventually, but I don't think it will happen in my lifetime. They also recognize the importance of the bungalows and plan on renovating. As I posted before I think this neighborhood with it collection of bungalows will become an important part of their collection as one of the only intact contiguous neighborhoods of its era.

I went to the Menil state of the museum panel discussion.

They are tearing part of the western side and the back that backs up to the houses on Branard. They are going to build the drawing cente r being designed by a young architecture firm from the west coast. They should be getting images fairly soon. I think the empty lot with the large oak next to the Twombley will be opened up to have a walkway to the center.

Although 2929 Weslayan is noteworthy to Houston, I think the Aqua tower in Chicago is much more noteworthy nationally since it was first and much more graceful being 80+ stories. 2929 Weslayan however is the most unique design in residential towers yet built in Houston. I wish the new Herman Drive 42 story wasn't going to have a flat roof on its twisting structure. I think it might have been more interesting if it had some setbacks as it went up.

Lake Alison.

I love this project, but I wonder how this went under the Ashby High rise groups radar. Hanover was smart to keep this low key for as long as they did.  Morningside is a much narrower street than Bissonnet but I guess they'll direct the egress out in the Kirby side direction. All the Village needs now is a grocery store. It doesn't need to be a big one, maybe the size of Trader Joe's.

The village is the urban model everyone's been looking for in Houston.

No, I don't, but maybe someone should consider it as a gift to the park. I was just making a comment that it would be nice to not see the power lines. I realize it takes money to do those kinds of things, but I didn't realize my comment would be taken the way you responded.

I've seen others make the same comment about power lines in other areas and I just wish they could all be buried.

Less stuff to get in the way of a nice project.

It's beautiful, but I wish they'd bury the power lines.

 They said it would be true to the leaked renderings to HAIF and i see no Hardie Plank in the renderings.

This will definitely be a game changer for the Village.

Just received confirmation that this project has started, permits have been received and it will be the 12 story building true to the renderings that have been on this site.

A developer could build a hundred "The Mercers" and I'd rejoice at all the density and infill. Im just happy SOMETHING is going up.

Even NYC and Chicago have ugly buildings.

I thought this was an architecture forum. Maybe I was confused when I started following. It sounds more like a construction developer site. I realize work was slow and it helps the economy but

I can't believe the quantity over quality argument espoused all over this site. I would rather see less built but better thoughtful design for urban spaces. I think it's more important to create well conceived projects that address urban issues, and think more about how all these millions of new residents are going to get from home to work inside the loop once all of this infill that so many of you are craving gets built. I too would love to see Houston become a truly urban metropolitan area, but I would like to see a little restraint on the part of the developers to just put up anything they want. And why should we be excited with ugly, especially in quantity. Once it's built there's nothing you can do to hide it.

On the other hand you can go to another project and find people up in arms about marvy's new fiesta site project, and how poorly it fits in with the neighborhood.

Obviously there is a lot of inconsistency in the thinking on individual projects.

There seems to be a consistent thread that no matter what it looks like just so long as it gets it gets built.

I for one think that this is a terrible stance and if that'is what you want what happens to aesthetics, and smart design?

A developer could build a hundred "The Mercers" and I'd rejoice at all the density and infill. Im just happy SOMETHING is going up.

Even NYC and Chicago have ugly buildings.

I thought this was an architecture forum. Maybe I was confused when I started following. It sounds more like a construction developer site. I realize work was slow and it helps the economy but

I can't believe the quantity over quality argument espoused all over this site. I would rather see less built but better thoughtful design for urban spaces. I think it's more important to create well conceived projects that address urban issues, and think more about how all these millions of new residents are going to get from home to work inside the loop once all of this infill that so many of you are craving gets built. I too would love to see Houston become a truly urban metropolitan area, but I would like to see a little restraint on the part of the developers to just put up anything they want. And why should we be excited with ugly, especially in quantity. Once it's built there's nothing you can do to hide it.

On the other hand you can go to another project and find people up in arms about marvy's new fiesta site project, and how poorly it fits in with the neighborhood.

Obviously there is a lot of inconsistency in the thinking on individual projects.

There seems to be a consistent thread that no matter what it looks like just so long as it gets it gets built.

I for one think that this is a terrible stance and if that'is what you want what happens to aesthetics, and smart design?

I know its exciting to see all of the infill and watch the cranes go higher and higher, but if its just going to end up being an ugly building I don't want it cluttering what so far has been a pretty evenly designed skyline.

One last thing Mattlock, and then I'm going to leave this for you others to resolve.

There is a very well known quote that says it all.

"Less is More"

Mies

I think Randall should stick to doing his work down on Padre Island.

Maybe mother nature will resolve the issue.

First off Lockmatt,  I hope what I'm saying you don't take too personally.

I just think a lot of his problem is in the detailing. I think, and its only my opinion,

that its schlocky, and overdone and just flat out in bad taste.

Now if you want to see nice detailing on a new building go look at what was the new Enron building or 1500 Louisiana

designed by Cesar Pelli. Very simple but aesthetically pleasing. No garish colors, just clean light design.

Whereas the Davis tower on Post Oak is a terrible color, and he's trying to out deco, deco with his hmmm post modern design.

Unfortunately it sticks out like a sore thumb. Just like in art when something in a painting sticks out it shouldn't.

His work always sticks out and it shouldn't.

Is there a rendering of the high rise tower that's going up and

how many floors is it projected to have? Thanks

The only thing bad about the cosmopolitan is the garage and other two you mentioned I actually like. Maybe I have horrible taste but I don't know why everyone hates on those so much.

This new project looks petty good and the Titan would have been a nice project, too.

Okay Lockmatt, everyone has a right to their own taste, but for me Randall Davis has only done one project in Houston that I approve or rather am  not totally offended by and that is the Rice Lofts makeover, mainly because he had nothing to do with the exterior of the building. I give him credit for starting the ball in the historic downtown area with this project but everything else he has done is pure garbage.

I'm sorry but his style or lack of aesthetics is disturbing. It comes across as very cheap and will not stand the test of time. Unfortunately we are now in a phase of Houston's  development that is pretty much void of great design and everything that is being done is on the cheap and purely profit driven with no one out there with the balls to do great architecture.

All the new growth is in  the energy,  and quite frankly I haven't seen a nice tower built for an energy related company in town since Pennzoil, and Gerald Hines was still calling the shots. They are about profit and not design. Sure the BG tower is nice but it still doesn't hold a candle to Pennzoil. I don't think his son or others at Hines have the interest in doing for Houston what Gerald did.

Besides they're too busy overseas and on the West Coast to do great work here like they used to be known for. The renderings for the new tower they are talking about sure doesn't send chills up my spine. I hope I'm wrong about Hines, but I know I'm dead right about Davis.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand all of the excitement about a project being developed by Randall Davis, who has proven over and over that he has no taste and will do whatever he can to make the Galleria area look bad.

He's already put up one very unattractive building on Post Oak that really detracts from the cluster of interfin buildings by Borlenghi.

His projects on West Gray and Shepherd at Dallas are disgusting. At least most of his projects have been relatively low rise buildings but now that he is starting to throw up these kitschy towers I say we revoke his developers license, and make him pay a fine for polluting our skyline.

Really, if any of you can defend his work I want to hear it, so I will know who not to consider a reliable source, and someone who has no aesthetic values.

I don't get excited by ugly infill.

Passed by Minute Maid on Friday and there was dirt being moved on the site.

What firm is working on the plans for this project and has anyone seen renderings?

Actually, the brick towers along the bayou next to the Wortham theater were part of the Sesquicentenial park designed by a couple of U. Of h. Arch. Students in a competition to create the park that now exists. One of the members of that group was Guy Hagstette.

The Aluminum towers with the cutouts that were drawn by elementary school kids was the art project by a very well known Houston artist Mel Chin. He is also responsible for the Palm tree and metal pyramid sculpture that unfortunately is in disrepair behind the contemporary art museum. It would be nice to see that public sculpture completely refurbished and have a more visible location.

It's a great sculpture.

I remember.

I was real excited about it, because they were showing "attention" to my beloved downtown. I think a couple years later they added the tall square brick posts with the aluminum tops that had cutouts of artwork drawn by houston elementary school kids, right down by the bayou behind the grand opera building. I think that was sort of the "beginning" of the buffalo bayou beautification/bayou walk, what have you. I thought it was so cool and clever.

I was a member of the original group of stakeholders who worked with Guy Hagsttette on the Cotswold project.

It was initially planned to turn one of the northern most east wets streets into a waterway. This was shelved but everything else was built as planned. There were three issues which altered the downtown while Cotswold was being built.

The metro rail line with water feature on Main St.. Every north south street from Smith to Austin were totally rebuilt, and it was found once excavation started on Prairie next to Cabo's in the test block, some of the water lines were still made of brick which they hadn't planned on replacing and ironically they had to remove the remnants of the old trolley lines.

Everything else including signage, trees, parking and lighting were finished as originally planned. It was a very interesting chance to see things from behind the scenes.

Sorry, I hit send twice.

I was a member of the original group of stakeholders who worked with Guy Hagsttette on the Cotswold project.

It was initially planned to turn one of the northern most east wets streets into a waterway. This was shelved but everything else was built as planned. There were three issues which altered the downtown while Cotswold was being built.

The metro rail line with water feature on Main St.. Every north south street from Smith to Austin were totally rebuilt, and it was found once excavation started on Prairie next to Cabo's in the test block, some of the water lines were still made of brick which they hadn't planned on replacing and ironically they had to remove the remnants of the old trolley lines.

Everything else including signage, trees, parking and lighting were finished as originally planned. It was a very interesting chance to see things from behind the scenes.