Kinder High School For The Performing And Visual Arts At 790 Austin St.

[arche_757]

Ah yes.  Why select a prestigious architect when there are such wonderful design firms like HOK, Gensler, PSP and others available?  The Houston way... it seems.

 

Would have been better to hold an open competition than to just select Gensler.  Though I know the reason Gensler was picked.  The architect who designed the current HSPVA works there.  He's a big shmoozer with the well-to-do-cocktail-crowd (very good at it I might add - which isn't an insult), and probably put the bug in someone's ear that they would be a more reasonable firm to select than Diller Scofidio+Renfro (or others).

[Texasota]

I think Gensler did a pretty nice job on the center for Dance. I thinks having a more arts-oriented client is good for them.

[cloud713]

agreed, the Houston Ballet Center for Dance looks fantastic IMO. 

[arche_757]

That building was designed when Marshall Strabala was design director there.  He left to form his own firm in Shanghai some time ago.  He came to them from SOM where he was one of their top designers.

 

The center for dance is nice - and Gensler does nice work, but I don't think of international design firm when I think of them.

Edited October 18, 2013 by arche_757

[Urbannizer]

Construction will start in Fall 2014.

[Urbannizer]

SubdivisionPlatPDF_Plat-13106.pdf

[Mab]

http://vimeo.com/83708052

 

Video of planning and designing a new HSPVA

[cloud713]

I dig the interior connectivity, but is the outside just a box? And is the architect the same one that did the Houston ballet and dance center.. (Gensler?)? If so there is hope of making this a beautiful box

[j_cuevas713]

This is going to be amazing... Houston is really taking the necessary steps to becoming an even greater world class city... And as for Texas in general, we are really separating ourselves among other cities such as San Antonio and Dallas

[Urbannizer]

http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/03/31/design-for-new-hspva-becomes-more-exciting-and-a-little-more-real/

[j_cuevas713]

YES PLEASE! What's the time frame on construction?

Edited April 1, 2014 by j_cuevas713

[H-Town Man]

Nice geometric interplay, although beige brick reminds me too much of the 1970's era high schools I grew up around.

 

[Texasota]

Yeah...it's ok.

 

It's kind of a lesser version of the Center for Dance.

[Subdude]

Before anyone gets on my case for criticism of a building on what is now a surface lot, let me say that it is fantastic that a school is returning to the block that held the original Houston high school.  It is also great to see diversity of use returning to downtown.  

 

All that said, I don't much like the design.  It just seems like random bits thrown together with no cohesion.  The overhang over the drive-in is top-heavy, and the giant HSPVA letters are just god-awful.  I hated the jumbo lettering at the Beck addition to MFAH, and this is even more egregious.  Shame, because I always thought the Montrose building was really well done.

 

 

[arche_757]

^I've always been underwhelmed by the Montrose school building.  I think if it were in an empty (recently clear-cut) field most would probably see the bad architecture for what it is.

 

This is very underwhelming.  The YMCA is better architecture.  I don't hate this, or find it terrible (far from it) but I do think its far less than what we were lead to believe the sum of its parts would end up being.  Good for them moving closer into town and closer to the arts scene.  I'm guessing the old site will eventually be razed and new 5-6 level wood framed apartments over a concrete parking deck (or two) will replace the old school in Montrose?

[cloud713]

Yeah the beige looks a little old school to me but I'm sure it will be quality.

[Montrose1100]

I really like the letters in the building. I actually prefer this rendering over the precious one.

[Nate99]

Looks like a government bureaucracy designed something artistic. 

 

It does not offend me, but I'm not picky. 

[Triton]

Nice geometric interplay, although beige brick reminds me too much of the 1970's era high schools I grew up around.

Exactly. This is going to look dated fairly quickly. The giant letters look cool but I wonder how much of a mess that will be when the pigeons discover those spots.

[monarch]

trust me subdude, you have over (8+ thousand post).  thus, you have more than earned your right to add a bit of subtle critique to a prospective edifice that all have been anticipating.  not to mention...  you are hereby absolutely correct!

 

Before anyone gets on my case for criticism of a building on what is now a surface lot, let me say that it is fantastic that a school is returning to the block that held the original Houston high school.  It is also great to see diversity of use returning to downtown.  

 

All that said, I don't much like the design.  It just seems like random bits thrown together with no cohesion.  The overhang over the drive-in is top-heavy, and the giant HSPVA letters are just god-awful.  I hated the jumbo lettering at the Beck addition to MFAH, and this is even more egregious.  Shame, because I always thought the Montrose building was really well done.

 

[monarch]

urbannizer, you are the consummate "gem" as per keeping us members up to date with the "going up" status quo.  that being said...  i must admit that this particular much anticipated HSPVA edifice, reminds me of a modern day "nabisco plant"!

 

suddenly, i feel as though i'm craving "ritz crackers".  i shall continue to monitor this illustration throughout the evening in hopes that my hunger shall subside.

 

http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/03/31/design-for-new-hspva-becomes-more-exciting-and-a-little-more-real/

 

[towerjunkie]

Wow monarch has such well written posts, it almost makes me believe monarch is an actual monarch!  Anyway, I would assume the budget had some sort of role in the design of the building right? Overall I would say its likeable but not timeless.

[ArchFan]

The design strikes me as a bit "blah", which is disappointing for a building that one would expect should represent a high standard that the students within should strive for.  That said, I don't hate it, either.  

 

A lesser point:  I am conflicted about whether I like the continued play on the school's name (or the acronym for it) in public relations for it.   I mean, the bumper stickers that say "HighSchoolforthePerformingandVisualArts" have long lost their freshness.  Having "HSPVA" as the most prominent element of the facade strikes me as trying to hang on to an old advertising slogan.  I may be wrong and I reserve the right to change my opinion, but right now it strikes me as wearing out a theme that was fun for awhile, but which became hackneyed after the passing of time.

Edited April 2, 2014 by ArchFan

[fernz]

I'm all about the school coming to Downtown, the mix of uses, the nice geometric interplay...but the design is still kind of bland. It's ironic for a school for visual arts.

[Moore713]

The problem is final say in designs are left to people who think they know what  edgy and modern is// It kind of like letting your parents DJ your party..... They can claim to have consulted the student body all they want, but in the end it was decided by peole in their 50,s and 60,s

[ZKB9]

For me it's the tan bricks that don't work. I'm kind of on the fence about the giant lettering, half of me thinks it'll end up cool, the other half thinks it'll be god-awful. The rest of the building is quite nice though, and as others have pointed out, great to have a school downtown.

[Howard Huge]

[Subdude]

At least at the Y the lettering is integrated in the glass and doesn't scream out at you quite as much.  At HSPVA it looks like they were just searching for another random visual element to fill the space.  If they have to resort to jumbo lettering they should at least find an interesting typeface.  I'm trying to warm up to it but it just seems like a bit of a mess.  Perhaps the architects could have a chat with a visual arts student.

 

 

 

For me it's the tan bricks that don't work.

 

Agree.  With the beige it's like it time-traveled from ten years ago.

 

 

[trymahjong]

http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/03/31/design-for-new-hspva-becomes-more-exciting-and-a-little-more-real/

 

 

 

too bad the windows in front showing  vague graphics weren't replaced with a huge scrim (is that what they are called? )  picture of what the original structure on Stanford  looked like. In the same way that the scrim at Inversion Café shows the "Implosion of the bungalows" by the ArtGuys-

 

That could be the springboard of many an architectural centered   conversation 

[Triton]

I noticed this short bit in an article that mentioned those 10 hotel projects in Uptown:

 

 

Our sponsor Cadence McShane's Bob Bedrich, Aldo Hernandez, and Dave Tague. The team recently delivered Rich's Food, a $25M project. It was a short timeline—they built 400k SF in seven months. The firm is about to start on high schools for HISD, including the High School for Performing Arts Downtown and Sterling Aviation High School.

 

http://www.bisnow.com/commercial-real-estate/houston/1984-state-of-the-market-amazing/