No photos but a great view!

[Simbha]

Hi all! I'm new here (sorta -- just "registered").

Anyway, I was at a meeting on the 10th floor of the 840 Gessner building (one of the glass bldg's behind Memorial City Mall) a few weeks ago. The conference room faced westward and to me it was the most incredible view of (part of) the Houston skyline I'd ever seen. The trees in the area just spread in front of me like an immense garden and in the distance I saw Uptown with Downtown behind it (and to the left).

Does anyone have any photos like that which capture multiple skylines in a nice even shot, or maybe a link?

Thanks.

PS. I love this forum

[lockmat]

Are there any buildings that have observatories?

[pankajw]

Williams Tower has a public observatory on one of its mid level floors.

[lockmat]

Williams Tower has a public observatory on one of its mid level floors.

what about downtown?

[musicman]

what about downtown?

the old texas commerce does KNA chase tower

Edited June 25, 2007 by musicman

[Porchman]

the old texas commerce does KNA chase tower

Yeah, "Sky Lobby" as it's called is pretty cool. Member "Montrose1100" posted some great pics taken there back in January. (See http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=9270)

[Jax]

the old texas commerce does KNA chase tower

Which building is the old Texas Commerce? Is that the gulf building? Are you sure it has an observation deck? if so I'd like to check it out.

The only ones I know downtown are the JP Morgan Chase Tower and the Wells Fargo Plaza tower.

[musicman]

Which building is the old Texas Commerce? Is that the gulf building? Are you sure it has an observation deck? if so I'd like to check it out.

The only ones I know downtown are the JP Morgan Chase Tower and the Wells Fargo Plaza tower.

my KNA should have been NKA..now known as chase tower.

[WesternGulf]

Williams Tower has a public observatory on one of its mid level floors.

Didn't that close after 9/11?

[Jax]

my KNA should have been NKA..now known as chase tower.

Are you saying the Texas Commerce Building IS the Chase tower?

[musicman]

Are you saying the Texas Commerce Building IS the Chase tower?

yes now it is.....i tend to call buildings by their original names forever.

[Montrose1100]

Are you saying the Texas Commerce Building IS the Chase tower?

Yeah, It use to be the Texas Commerce Tower. Then Chase Tower, and now The JP Morgan Chase Tower.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Didn't that close after 9/11?

Yeah, I tried checking it out back in '03 with no success. I sincerely doubt it'll be open any time soon.

Check out the Wells Fargo Tower's two level skylobby near the 60th floor. It faces southeast, and gives you essentially the opposite side of the view you'd get from the Chase Tower. I also think it's interesting to see the large structural bracing from the inside.

For different perspectives, check out a few of the larger hotels around town... There's usually a set of windows near the elevator banks on upper floors which may offer views like an observatory. It's worked for me in other cities at least. The few I've tried around Houston seem decent enough, but they were more on the fringes of town rather than the heart of it.

Tops of decent parking garages are also decent as well, depending on where they're located anyway. I have a few favorites around town that I can compile...

Edited July 1, 2007 by ChannelTwoNews

[Jax]

Yeah I'd love to know your favorite garages. I have taken pics at the HCC garage on main, and the Fine Arts Museum garage, as well as my own parking garage where I live. I think the galleria garage was kind of interesting too.

As for the hotels, do you just walk in as if you were staying there and go to the top floor?