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Memorial Hermann Memorial City Campus

ricco67

By ricco67
in Katy and Points West

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kdog08

kdog08

Posted
Posted

If the area and demographics were considered, I would have expected a higher quality design. For me this building looks like it was the victim of the all too often seen attitude of "how cheaply it can be done takes precedence over quality" tone that appears to have settled in Houston over the past 15 years. Possibly because of the area, the crown was decided upon to give a false appearance of quality, but it didn't work in my eyes.

This was built by a non profit health care system, so one wouldn't expect something terribly different. I personally don't think the design is awful, but leaves something to be desired. I feel it is better than nothing.

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kdog08

kdog08

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They recently completed the highway landscaping along the stretch of I10 in Memorial City. Looks pretty decent, they threw in some palm trees at the Gessner and I10 feeder interaction. Also, there are these like 15-20 ft metal obelisk- shaped structure that has a blue crown at the top which is lit up much like the Memorial Hermann building.

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TheNiche

TheNiche

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When I was a first year architecture student, many sayings were iterated by the professors but the one that has filtered it's way into the populous the most is probably "taste, not space."

Nope, space always comes first. Taste is something that a developer gets around to working through with the architect later on...eventually...sometimes.

This was built by a non profit health care system, so one wouldn't expect something terribly different. I personally don't think the design is awful, but leaves something to be desired. I feel it is better than nothing.

Think again. Non-profit health providers bring in a tremendous amount of revenue from wealthy donors. It is of critical importance to the business model that such persons be sufficiently impressed with the vitality of the organization that they are donating to. Tall buildings with ostentatious adornments are just part of the game. It doesn't matter if they're a bit clunky.

If it were about cost-effectiveness, you'd see a whole lot more low-rise or mid-rise structures with gigantic floorplates...not a 35-story administrative office building.

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gto250us

gto250us

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...should build a building in the shape of a giant cucumber...

I would have expected the building to be in the shape of a giant beating heart. They could make it expand and contract, have periodic heart attacks. Exposed plumbing could pulsate. It could have been awsome. It could have been a contender.

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Dallasboi

Dallasboi

Posted
Posted

If the area and demographics were considered, I would have expected a higher quality design. For me this building looks like it was the victim of the all too often seen attitude of "how cheaply it can be done takes precedence over quality" tone that appears to have settled in Houston over the past 15 years. Possibly because of the area, the crown was decided upon to give a false appearance of quality, but it didn't work in my eyes.

my thoughts exactly... ^_^

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Coaster

Coaster

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my thoughts exactly... ^_^

Come now, I bet you and Velvet Jerk have never had a 'thought' in your lives. It's all posting and bashing. There have been plenty of nice buildings built in Houston over the last 15 years. Main Place is going to be great. Enron 2, 2727 Kirby and the Mosaic turned out very nice. And there are several very cool buildings that were built in the TMC recently.

I think it's funny how the building boom that hit uptown Dallas has come and gone and the biggest building they got out of it was only 30 stories. There was certainly no shortage of buildings built on the cheap in Dallas in the last 5 years. No wonder Dallasboi is so bitter.

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VelvetJ

VelvetJ

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Come now, I bet you and Velvet Jerk have never had a 'thought' in your lives. It's all posting and bashing. There have been plenty of nice buildings built in Houston over the last 15 years. Main Place is going to be great. Enron 2, 2727 Kirby and the Mosaic turned out very nice. And there are several very cool buildings that were built in the TMC recently.

I think it's funny how the building boom that hit uptown Dallas has come and gone and the biggest building they got out of it was only 30 stories. There was certainly no shortage of buildings built on the cheap in Dallas in the last 5 years. No wonder Dallasboi is so bitter.

(Clutching my pearls) Hey everyone, someone here by the name of 'Coaster' called me a jerk! It still doesn't negate the fact the Memorial Hermann building is a awful design, and a city once KNOWN for it's architecture to the point of people would literally travel from around the world to see it, has had a unusual amount of mediocre designs to rise in the past 15 years. And I know I'm not the only one who has noticed. About 3 years ago, the chronicle did a section on architecture that addressed the very issue.

Oh by the way, thanks mom and dad for showing me how to get my point across without "name calling". Great parenting there.

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TheNiche

TheNiche

Posted
Posted

(Clutching my pearls) Hey everyone, someone here by the name of 'Coaster' called me a jerk! It still doesn't negate the fact the Memorial Hermann building is a awful design, and a city once KNOWN for it's architecture to the point of people would literally travel from around the world to see it, has had a unusual amount of mediocre designs to rise in the past 15 years. And I know I'm not the only one who has noticed. About 3 years ago, the chronicle did a section on architecture that addressed the very issue.

Oh by the way, thanks mom and dad for showing me how to get my point across without "name calling". Great parenting there.

To refer to someone as a "jerk" is to succinctly describe qualities about them. That is, as opposed to namecalling which is nonsensical and baseless mockery. See the definition below for clarity; it is reasonably fitting with the context in which he used the word to describe you.

Having said that, I do think that what came after the word 'jerk' was a personal attack. But that only makes it funny because someone engaging in a personal attack just called the target a jerk. It's like he's pissing into the wind.

----------------------------

jerk

Pronunciation: \ˈjərk\

Function: noun

Etymology: probably alteration of yerk

Date: 1575

1 : a single quick motion of short duration

2 a : jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions b : a tendency to produce spasmodic motions

3 a : an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action b plural : involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement

4 a : an annoyingly stupid or foolish person b : an unlikable person; especially : one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded

5 : the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead in weight lifting

"jerk." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.

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Dallasboi

Dallasboi

Posted
Posted

Come now, I bet you and Velvet Jerk have never had a 'thought' in your lives. It's all posting and bashing. There have been plenty of nice buildings built in Houston over the last 15 years. Main Place is going to be great. Enron 2, 2727 Kirby and the Mosaic turned out very nice. And there are several very cool buildings that were built in the TMC recently.

I think it's funny how the building boom that hit uptown Dallas has come and gone and the biggest building they got out of it was only 30 stories. There was certainly no shortage of buildings built on the cheap in Dallas in the last 5 years. No wonder Dallasboi is so bitter.

Sorry if i came off as trying to bash houston...i simply second someones opinion...I mean for the lack of better words i just agreed with velvet...It will by all means function as a state of the art hospital ...I just know it...so lighten up a lil...just because its not attractive to Me dosent mean its not a good hospital and the the crown is indeed an afterthought in my opinion used to spice up a bland design that "LOOKS"cheaply built.....but it is new..and it is a hospital...so i hope whats inside can make up for the eyesore part :unsure:^_^

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  • 5 months later...
Frank M

Frank M

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I've searched some, but could not find anything on this, but as I pass by it on my way in from Austin, I have to ask,

'Why is there an air traffic control tower on top on the new Memorial Hermann Hospital at Town & Country?'

At least that's what it looks like. Anyone know the story on the top of this hospital?

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houstonartstudent

houstonartstudent

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I've searched some, but could not find anything on this, but as I pass by it on my way in from Austin, I have to ask,

'Why is there an air traffic control tower on top on the new Memorial Hermann Hospital at Town & Country?'

At least that's what it looks like. Anyone know the story on the top of this hospital?

http://www.houstonar...rmann-building/

Here's 10 pages of information for you. In a nutshell, the building is actually owned by Metronational and Memorial Hermann Leases levels 2-7 (the rest of the floors are medical office space or shell space for future tenant build-out. The crown houses the offices for Metronational...and you'd be surprised that the decor up there looks NOTHING like the building.

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jgriff

jgriff

Posted
Posted

The tower crane for the hotel came down last week. The guy that operates it rides my bus. He told me there was a 1 year delay in construction of the hotel for some reason. I ride by it everyday and the entire place looks like a mish-mash of different textures and colors that clash. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until the place was done but I'm finding it harder and harder to see how this is ever going to look like anything other than something a 12 year old with legos came up with.

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jgriff

jgriff

Posted
Posted

...so the rumor is matching medical buildings and retail are going on the other side of the freeway. They are demoing Komart and the Casual Big and Tall/Red Wings Shoes strip center. This has been a real eye sore for a long time and won't be missed.

That's the same thing the tower crane operator on the hotel project told me. He said it was all cancelled due to the economic crisis though.

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jgriff

jgriff

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...Don't think that's good info. Especially considering they are currently demo'ing the mall/Komart as we speak.

Yep, I saw that yesterday. I hope you're right. I'd be surprised if they developed anymore medical/office space in the area anytime soon though. According to the guy I know that's been working on the hotel project since it began the 35 story office building is far from being fully leased.

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SpringShadows

SpringShadows

Posted
Posted

So, the building behind Memorial City Mall, 10ish story blue glass building just added the same blue light band around the top as the new tower has going up the front. It looks awesome, and it's animated with a white cylinder looking shape that wrapes around from the back and dances back and forth. I was at the light north of I-10 on Gessner this morning for a few minutes and saw one cycle. I really hope this becomes a theme for the area. I saw a lot of that in Dubai and it really looks great to have a district theme on the buildings. Vancouver has done this as well.

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SpringShadows

SpringShadows

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Posted

So, the building behind Memorial City Mall, 10ish story blue glass building just added the same blue light band around the top as the new tower has going up the front. It looks awesome, and it's animated with a white cylinder looking shape that wrapes around from the back and dances back and forth. I was at the light north of I-10 on Gessner this morning for a few minutes and saw one cycle. I really hope this becomes a theme for the area. I saw a lot of that in Dubai and it really looks great to have a district theme on the buildings. Vancouver has done this as well.

So everything was lit this morning. The pedestrian bridge, the mall, all the mid rises behind the mall and the hospital with blue lights.

It looked like Tron. Pretty amazing. I'll get a picture tomorrow.

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urban909

urban909

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So everything was lit this morning. The pedestrian bridge, the mall, all the mid rises behind the mall and the hospital with blue lights.

It looked like Tron. Pretty amazing. I'll get a picture tomorrow.

I saw it last night too on my way home from work. (I work at Memorial City Mall). It definitely has a unique look to it.

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