Mel Chin Sculpture

Mel Chin Sculpture, originally uploaded by bilbao58.

In a city as colorful as Houston it's interesting to see how many things look stunning in black and white.

Thanks to bilbao58 for this one.


You can see lots more great pictures, and add your own -- dive in to
the HAIF Flickr Pool.

Pull of the Moon

Pull of the Moon, originally uploaded by bilbao58.

The moon shines on downtown Houston, and downtown Houston shines right back at it.

Thanks to bilbao58 for this one.


You can see lots more great pictures, and add your own -- dive in to
the HAIF Flickr Pool.

60 Windows

60 Windows, originally uploaded by bilbao58.

Even Federal courthouses need love. Here we see window washers taking their brushes that have built up on the one downtown.


You can see lots more great pictures, and add your own -- dive in to
the HAIF Flickr Pool.

Scary sunrise

Sunrise in Tranquility Park, originally uploaded by nip2655.
Scary clouds at sunrise look like they're ready to suck up the Lyric Centre. HDR goodness courtesy of nip 2655. See more on the HAIF Flickr group.

Federal Reservations

Federal Reserve at Night, originally uploaded by nip2655.
What happened to all that money spend on McMansions in Houston? I guess it ended up in this McBank. The design screams 90's, but is probably better than the hospital it replaced. How many people remember the old Jefferson Davis Hospital that was here? For decades it was a hangout for smack addicts and suburban thrill-seekers before being imploded. Now the city that used to have TWO Jefferson Davis Hospitals now has none.


Thanks to nip2655 for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

The electric barf-o-matic

HLSR, originally uploaded by fmulder21.
Nothing says "carnival" quite like a speed-blurred Tilt-a-Whirl. This particular one was photographed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Thanks to fmulder21 for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

Image Projection

CAL From 1700 San Jac, originally uploaded by txfireguy.
The Continental Airlines logo is projected on the cap of Continental Center I at night. Many people don't notice it now, but when it was first switched on it caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

People feared that it was the first step toward the Las Vegasization of the downtown skyline; a fear that is repeated almost any time a proposal with any glitz is introduced.

Houston still has an ordinance prohibiting corporate names on buildings, except for those grandfathered in. Oh, and the Hard Rock Cafe, because that big guitar is considered art. Oh, and Minute Maid Park, which is technically county property and thus exempt from the city's ordinance.

So how did Continental get it done? In August, 2000 Houston city council passed a rule allowing logos n building if it has more than 750,000 square feet of space and is also the headquarters of a company occupying at least 45% of that space. But projections only -- nothing permanent.

Thanks to txfireguy for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

Blue Bayou City

Blue & Blue, originally uploaded by txfireguy.
The blue lights illuminating Houston's downtown underpants is matched by the projected Continental Airlines logo. Maybe Houston should adopt blue as the official downtown illumination color. It would work with the Aquarium, too.

Thanks to txfireguy for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

Houston's Big F

Variation on a Theme, originally uploaded by bilbao58.
First City Tower will always look like First City Tower because of the stepped channel carved across it. Even if it's sold, renamed, or otherwise changed there will always be the subliminal giant F in the skyline.

Thanks to bilbao58 for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

Holy Light

ILLUMINATING, originally uploaded by txfireguy.
The new Sacred Heart's angles work well with the night time illumination. But some people will forever pine for the old building.

Thanks to txfireguy for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

imitation of life

Column Art RICE U, originally uploaded by I-SEEN-IT.
Books and buxom women and running men. Looks like another day at Rice University. This detail on a column has probably never been seen by most of the student population. Too busy texting to look up and see the beauty of the world around them.

Thanks to I-SEEN-IT for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

San Felipe Plaza, Sunset

San Felipe Plaza, Sunset, originally uploaded by zoomanderson1.
San Felipe Plaza bids adieu to another day in Houston. The architect, Richard Keating, once told HAIF that it was one of his favorites. Shame about the location, though. It so often gets overlooked. A little closer to Uptown or downtown would have done wonders.

Thanks to zoomanderson1 for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

HDR Heritage

Building in HDR, originally uploaded by I-SEEN-IT.
This picture shows off the abilities of digital photography and glass curtain walls. The clouds just continue across elements from air to earth and back to air.

Thanks to I-SEEN-IT for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group. It's his first attempt at HDR (high dynamic range) photography.

Looking at you looking at him

What Are They Looking At?, originally uploaded by txfireguy.
If ever there was a skyscraper that could be "humanized" (the new shortcut word for anthropomorphism) it's Heritage Plaza. The building just seems to stare at you like some evil robot. The statues? Not so much.

Thanks to txfireguy for the photo from the HAIF Flickr group.

Chinatown Fountain

Chinatown Fountain, originally uploaded by kshilcutt.
Houston has a huge Asian population that's growing every day. It's good to see new development in the Chinese community.

Thanks to kshilcutt at the HAIF Flickr group for the picture. It's labeled "Chinatown Fountain." Does anyone know if this is the original Chinatown behind the GRB, or Little Hong Kong over on the west side?

ALAPAMA

Alabama Theatre, originally uploaded by kshilcutt.
With the lights going off at the River Oaks Theater it's getting harder and harder to find bits of classic neon in Houston. Fortunately, in spite of being repurposed, this standard at the former Alabama Theater remains lit -- if unevenly.

Thanks to kshilcutt at the HAIF Flickr group.

Downtown vertigo (not 58)

07072008054, originally uploaded by fmulder21.
Looking up in downtown Houston is probably best done before lunch than after. Especially on cloudy days when you're standing close to one of the city's many reflective buildings.
Thanks to FMulder21 for the picture!

1801 Main

• Subject: 1801 Main Street
• Location: Downtown
• Date: January, 2008
• Photographer: Wayne Lorentz

A pretty easily overlooked office building, in the right light it's not too bad. The late 90's/early 2000's renovation of the glass helped a lot.

Interestingly, this building was used as the cover of a Canadian elementary school math textbook.  Go figure.

Aladdin Bail Bonds

• Subject: Aladdin Bail Bonds
• Location: Downtown
• Date: January, 2008
• Photographer: Wayne Lorentz 

There's something about bail bonds companies that for some reason they always end up in the worst buildings.  This one is a rare exception.  Aladdin has worked some magic and taken up residence in a pretty nice little four-story.  Unfortunately, the rest of the block is surface parking.  But imagine a whole neighborhood surrounding the justice centers with these buildings.  It wouldn't be too bad, even if all of the businesses were bail bondsmen.

The Esperson Buildings

Subject: The Esperson Buildings
Location : Downtown Houston
Date: January, 2008
Photographer: Wayne Lorentz
One of the city's best examples of classical architecture may also qualify as the city's most haunted.  Over the years there have been lots of tales of spooky things happening in this building.  But there are a lot more things going bump in the night there than you might think.  Since adding the Esperson Buildings to the HAI web page in 2001, I've heard from about a dozen people who didn't want their comments to appear on the web site, but still felt compelled to e-mail me about their ghostly encounters.  Go figure.  I guess they were worried about being thought of as a kook on the job.

The Savoy Houston

• Subject: The Savoy Houston
• Location: Downtown Houston
• Date: January, 2008
• Photographer: Wayne Lorentz

It's one thing for a house or a convenience store or a gas station to become abandoned.  When a skyscraper is left empty, it's a whole different kind of shame.  Houston has more than its share of abandoned skyscrapers.  Every couple of years a plan is hatched to save one or another, but with the exception of the former Houston World Trade Center (now the Inn at the Ballpark) and the Finger Building (now a bank headquarters) on Montrose Boulevard, this almost never happens.

Williams Tower

To get things started, here is a picture of one of Houston's most beloved, iconic, fundamental structures.

• Subject: The Williams Tower
• Location: West Loop/Galleria Area
• Date: January, 2008
• Photographer: Wayne Lorentz

HAIF Photo of the Day

Today we begin yet another new feature on HAIF: The HAIF Photo of the Day.

Each day a new picture will be posted in this section of HAIF. They are here for you to admire, comment on, and discuss. Often they will be beautiful pictures of Houston. Sometimes they'll be thoughtful, interesting, or funny pictures.

If you'd like to add one of your pictures to the Photo of the Day, e-mail it, or a link to it (if you're hosting on Flickr, Picassa, etc...) to editor@houstonarchitecture.info and provide some basic information:

• Subject
• Location (neighborhood is OK)
• Date (month/year is enough)
• Photographer

You can optionally add your thoughts and comments about the picture and they will be visible at the time of posting.

Bank of America Center

• Subject: Bank of America Center
• Location: Downtown
• Date: January, 2008
• Photographer: Wayne Lorentz

The Bank of America Center is of Houston's best buildings.  Inspired by the canal houses of Europe, it is one of the few skyscraper designs you don't see duplicated all over the place.   This is truly a Houston original.  

I remember hearing once that the reason for the little annex building next to it (pictured here) is that it encloses a critical power junction that keeps downtown Houston juiced up.  It is so important that it can't be moved, so the architects had to design around it.   I don't know if it's true, but I've seem the same thing happen in other cities for the same reason, so it sounds plausable.

Williams Tower

To get things started, here is a picture of one of Houston's most beloved, iconic, fundamental structures.  

• Subject: The Williams Tower
  
• Location: West Loop/Galleria Area
  
• Date: January, 2008
  
• Photographer: Wayne Lorentz
  

HAIF Photo of the Day

Today we begin yet another new feature on HAIF:  The HAIF Photo of the Day.

Each day a new picture will be posted in this section of HAIF.  They are here for you to admire, comment on, and discuss.  Often they will be beautiful pictures of Houston.  Sometimes they'll be thoughtful, interesting, or funny pictures.  

If you'd like to add one of your pictures to the Photo of the Day, e-mail it, or a link to it (if you're hosting on Flickr, Picassa, etc...) to editor@houstonarchitecture.info and provide some basic information:

• Subject
  
• Location (neighborhood is OK) 
  
• Date (month/year is enough)
  
• Photographer

You can optionally add your thoughts and comments about the picture and they will be visible at the time of posting.