(Otto Mation) Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 retaliashun has added a photo to the pool: The Bank Of America Building in downtown Houston Click here to view this photo at the HAIF Photo Pool on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Otto Mation) Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Bill Jacomet has added a photo to the pool: Click here to view this photo at the HAIF Photo Pool on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckknight Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 The Bank of America Center is an amazing Houston skyscraper and a "cathedral of commerce." I write about the origins and characteristics of its gothic revivalism and monumentalism features in the attached article. Let me know if you agree. BOACenter_Houston.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Good job, Colin. I hope you get an A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Otto Mation) Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 bill barfield has added a photo to the pool: http://farm1.staticflickr.com/646/23740921082_f73e8a0671_m.jpg Houston View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted September 26, 2017 Share Posted September 26, 2017 http://realtynewsreport.com/2017/09/25/remodelingexpansion-planned-at-iconic-bank-of-america-building-in-downtown/ HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – The old and almost forgotten Western Union building, which has been encased and hidden since the 56-story Bank of America Center tower was completed in 1983, is being opened up and redeveloped. The renovation of the Western Union space will add some 35,000-SF to the Bank of America skyscraper, providing room for a new white table-cloth restaurant and other lobby improvements, says Ken Moczulski, founder and CEO of Houston-based M-M Properties, which owns the building. The 1.2 million SF building, 700 Louisiana, was developed by Hines and designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee. Bank of America will be moving out of the building to occupy a new tower developed by Skanska. HFF’s Cameron Cureton and John Brownlee recently arranged a refinancing of the building, which is near the Theater District. Bank of America and CBRE will be moving their offices out of the building, which is one of the most recognizable towers on the skyline. The tower has ANR (TransCanada) as a main tenant. The building, which has a red granite exterior, was known as RepublicBank Center when it opened. The Western Union building was retained and enveloped because it many electrical connections. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 This is exciting. A white-tablecloth restaurant opening out from that grand lobby could have a Four Seasons-like atmosphere. (Referring to the restaurant in the Seagram building.) That such an expensive project is being undertaken to create a restaurant space shows the new strength of downtown retail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 (edited) This should be a cool project. I am interested to see what kind of restaurant they get. The lobby of that building is a great space and proximity to the theaters would keep them busy. It would also be the closest place for an after work drink at the bar for a lot of office tower dwellers. Please commute responsibly. Edited September 29, 2017 by Nate99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 Considering that the current BoA food options consist of a Murphy's Deli, a bagel shop, and prepackaged junk and bananas from the convenience store... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Urbannizer Posted December 27, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 27, 2017 http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Bank-of-America-Center-to-bring-hidden-building-12456235.php#photo-14755912 A curious corner of downtown's Bank of America Center will be transformed into a restaurant topped by a floor of new office or conference space that could open by the end of 2018. Houston-based M-M Properties tapped Sydness Architects to find a way to utilize the former Western Union building that was wrapped inside the bank tower when it was constructed in the early 1980s. That space, at Louisiana and Capitol, was completely hidden by a granite facade. It has not been used for sending telegrams for decades. Bringing the long-dormant Western Union building out into the open will be part of a $15 million project that could add up to 30,000 square feet to the 56-story skyscraper. Sydness said work is to begin in February or March. A second phase, which will add two floors of glass encased offices above Bank of America's expansive lobby along with tenant amenities in the lobby, will begin after the namesake tenant vacates in 2019. Current look: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 It won’t look like a medieval fort when they are done. Of course, without the arrow slits, it was kinda useless anyway. So much for having those walls strong enough to ward off cannon fire. The new place will actually look inviting from the outside! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 8 hours ago, UtterlyUrban said: It won’t look like a medieval fort when they are done. Of course, without the arrow slits, it was kinda useless anyway. So much for having those walls strong enough to ward off cannon fire. The new place will actually look inviting from the outside! What's really needed is a portcullis and a moat. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 https://sydnessarchitects.com/project/700-louisiana/ 700 Louisiana is a 54-story office tower that is an iconic building in Houston. Designed in 1983 by Johnson/Burgee Architects the tower included a podium that served as a large open banking hall for the building’s main tenant. Sydness Architects was commissioned to add two new levels in the existing banking hall and create a restaurant in the adjacent quadrant’s two existing floor levels. The new 25,000 square feet of office and restaurant space will be enhanced by introducing new windows in the existing podium along the three streets. The additional floors required adding new columns in the space, new stairs and elevators. Maintaining the design grammar that existed in the building was a primary objective of the design team. Jeff Sydness was a member of the original Johnson/Burgee design team for the building. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 They have blocked off the sidewalk around part of the building now. Looks like this is getting going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted August 15, 2018 Share Posted August 15, 2018 http://swamplot.com/a-curtain-call-for-the-hidden-western-union-building-before-bank-of-america-center-digests-it/2018-08-15/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator80 Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 I think its a shame to lose the banking hall as originally designed by Philip Johnson. In my opinion it is the most majestic interior commercial space in Houston. Interersting when similar renovations were proposed for Johnson’s AT&T building in NYC the outcry was such that the building was awarded protected landmark status and was thus saved from any “improvements” on the original design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 It's quite striking on the inside, but from the sidewalk the experience is exactly the opposite. This is a pretty sensitive update by the original architecture firm, and I think it will end up being a good example of addressing a building's deficiencies without ruining what makes it distinct. Of course, we'll see how it actually turns out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 On 9/8/2018 at 11:05 PM, Gator80 said: I think its a shame to lose the banking hall as originally designed by Philip Johnson. In my opinion it is the most majestic interior commercial space in Houston. Interersting when similar renovations were proposed for Johnson’s AT&T building in NYC the outcry was such that the building was awarded protected landmark status and was thus saved from any “improvements” on the original design. Apart from some windows on that side, I don't know that the banking hall is going to be that impacted, though it sits mostly empty with fewer bank walk-ins these days as compared to when it was designed. In the interior, there are two big blank wall that will be eliminated making the whole place more hall-ish.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 On 9/8/2018 at 11:05 PM, Gator80 said: I think its a shame to lose the banking hall as originally designed by Philip Johnson. In my opinion it is the most majestic interior commercial space in Houston. Interersting when similar renovations were proposed for Johnson’s AT&T building in NYC the outcry was such that the building was awarded protected landmark status and was thus saved from any “improvements” on the original design. The change to that building and the proposed changes to this building are much less drastic. The changes here are a lot more subtle and I think actually enhance the original design. The proposed changes to the AT&T Building was a bit too far. Then again that building is more difficult address because its just so weird. Its literally a giant dresser with holes in it (which is what makes it an interesting post-modern piece). In our case the building barrows a lot of gothic motifs that can immediately be implemented in other ways in a redesign. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 On 9/8/2018 at 11:05 PM, Gator80 said: I think its a shame to lose the banking hall as originally designed by Philip Johnson. In my opinion it is the most majestic interior commercial space in Houston. Interersting when similar renovations were proposed for Johnson’s AT&T building in NYC the outcry was such that the building was awarded protected landmark status and was thus saved from any “improvements” on the original design. I agree, although the most majestic interior commercial space has got to be 712 Main. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Any 📸 updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nate99 Posted January 8, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted January 8, 2019 8 hours ago, Urbannizer said: Any 📸 updates? Here you go. The crates behind the fence on the Capitol side have windows in them. 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Wow, this is great. I wonder if there will be some tasteful awnings to break up the flatness of the façade, especially on Capitol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 16 minutes ago, H-Town Man said: Wow, this is great. I wonder if there will be some tasteful awnings to break up the flatness of the façade, especially on Capitol. It's tough to see, but there is a steel structure sticking out along the Louisiana side where the new entrance is being constructed, it must be some kind of awning. If it integrates at all with the building, it should be fairly understated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 The renderings earlier in the thread show just an awning over the new doors on the Louisiana side. No others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 (edited) - Edited May 17, 2019 by DrLan34 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Right, forgot we had renderings, thanks. Are any bigger windows being punched into the façade on the southern half of the side facing Louisiana? This would be to the left of where Nate's photo cuts off. It appears from the renderings like they should be getting bigger there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 22 hours ago, H-Town Man said: Right, forgot we had renderings, thanks. Are any bigger windows being punched into the façade on the southern half of the side facing Louisiana? This would be to the left of where Nate's photo cuts off. It appears from the renderings like they should be getting bigger there. I think that is in the renderings, but they are not yet working on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmitch94 Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 Current state of affairs. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graystone Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 Was inside at this building today (Sorry no pic) and the construction walls are down in the lobby and the new interior windows are in. You can see the rough look of what this new space will be. I believe the exterior windows are installed too but didn't go out and look. If someone with some time and a camera wants to check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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