mollusk Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Does someone mind snapping a pic of the exterior progress? I would if I could get them to turn out properly. Regardless, not a whole lot to see vs. a couple weeks ago. They seem to be working more on interiors right now (including much jackhammer work). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I would if I could get them to turn out properly. Regardless, not a whole lot to see vs. a couple weeks ago. They seem to be working more on interiors right now (including much jackhammer work). Ah ok. I was just wondering about their progress on "bricking" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtownian Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I would if I could get them to turn out properly. Regardless, not a whole lot to see vs. a couple weeks ago. They seem to be working more on interiors right now (including much jackhammer work). The entire north side of the building is almost completely covered in the faux brick: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) Interesting. Edited April 10, 2014 by rsb320 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I am really interested to see what they do around the lower three floors, it could end up really cool. Now if someone could figure out a use for the old Battelstein's building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed_Tx Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 here's more.. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 The faux brick is even more faux than lick and stick - it appears to be another layer of paint in a different color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 The faux brick is even more faux than lick and stick - it appears to be another layer of paint in a different color.Just don't make it sound like you're lamenting the faux-ness of the brick. When I did that a few pages back, people jumped all over me for it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Just don't make it sound like you're lamenting the faux-ness of the brick. When I did that a few pages back, people jumped all over me for it. I embrace painted Styrofoam brickesque building materials. Given the mastic that apparently couldn't be removed from the original brick, to get to the original appearance I don't know that there was a whole lot of alternative (except perhaps for actual lick and stick, which in that volume would be pretty spendy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 New stuff on the lower two floors looks to be getting ready to attach whatever the exterior will ultimately be. I did not grab a picture of it, but the fake brick looks decent to me, you can see it better now that they have the rusk side done down to the fourth floor. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I'm going to man up and say that, despite my earlier disappointment, the brick-painted-on-foam really does look better than I thought. I actually like it so much that, whenever I stay there, I just might take my pocket knife and gouge out a chunk to take home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I'm going to man up and say that, despite my earlier disappointment, the brick-painted-on-foam really does look better than I thought. I actually like it so much that, whenever I stay there, I just might take my pocket knife and gouge out a chunk to take home. Snag me a star while you're out there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Snag me a star while you're out there. Yeah, that probably wouldn't be too hard either, though the longer reach might save them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 (edited) If it still interests anyone, this photo of the earlier building seems to show some interesting iconography on the upper entablature and cornices. As for the most controversial feature, we seem to have some type of sash instead of a star: Edited April 15, 2014 by H-Town Man 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 (edited) If it still interests anyone, this photo of the earlier building seems to show some interesting iconography on the upper entablature and cornices. As for the most controversial feature, we seem to have some type of sash instead of a star: The cattle skulls in the Esperson building stonework are pretty cool. It is unfortunate that they couldn't have done something on that scale, or even similar to the Texaco building "Texas Company" logos, but I suppose real estate investment is too transitory these days to literally etch anything like the JW Mariott logo in stone (or foam/plaster/stucco). Edited April 16, 2014 by Nate99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 If it still interests anyone, this photo of the earlier building seems to show some interesting iconography on the upper entablature and cornices. As for the most controversial feature, we seem to have some type of sash instead of a star: Great picture. It is amazing to see the amount of detail that was poured into facades back then (also check out the elephant parade picture posted above). I don't even think it is economic considerations that prevent recreation of that degree of detailed design, even in restorations such as this one that are aiming at some degree of accuracy. I think that architects now simply don't know how to decorate that way anymore. It's like a cultural memory that has been lost through time. All that architects can think of to do is plaster on stick-um stars and hope that sufficiently connotes a sense of historicism. It also seems that modern architects have a really hard time not using the color beige. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Great picture. It is amazing to see the amount of detail that was poured into facades back then (also check out the elephant parade picture posted above). I don't even think it is economic considerations that prevent recreation of that degree of detailed design, even in restorations such as this one that are aiming at some degree of accuracy. I think that architects now simply don't know how to decorate that way anymore. It's like a cultural memory that has been lost through time. All that architects can think of to do is plaster on stick-um stars and hope that sufficiently connotes a sense of historicism. It also seems that modern architects have a really hard time not using the color beige.Not just architects but I think society in general is less interested in iconography, which we used to get through the masons and other societies, as well as studying things like heraldry as a pastime. I'm not sure I know the reason for this change, other than just to guess technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonBoy Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I think the absence of masonry reflects society's uninterest in the small details that come together to make one beautiful thing and are now interested in the big picture; the shape and design of the building as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I'm hoping that 3D printing makes it easier to recreate some of these old designs for castings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 It also seems that modern architects have a really hard time not using the color beige. In general, I agree; however, they're pretty close to the original brick color on this one. I'm just glad that the glass isn't tinted blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 (edited) Pardon the finger in the corner. You can actually make out remnants of exposed old brick right at the bottom of the re-covered area. Edited April 16, 2014 by Nate99 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 In general, I agree; however, they're pretty close to the original brick color on this one. I'm just glad that the glass isn't tinted blue. Wasn't the original structure all white? Beige is the defining building color of our time, to the point where modern architects have a hard time conceiving of not using it in structures. Once we had a HAIF topic about "beige blight". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Wasn't the original structure all white? Beige is the defining building color of our time, to the point where modern architects have a hard time conceiving of not using it in structures. Once we had a HAIF topic about "beige blight". In a demonstration of how eager I am to escape what I'm working on this afternoon (however briefly), I just went downstairs to take a look. The whitish spandrel brick still visible under the bottom left windows looks to have been painted white at one time. The adjoining bays also look to have been painted but then soiled. Tucked around the corner and behind the curtain wall of the little alley filler building between 806 Main and 801 Travis is some once upon a time exterior brick that is about the same shade of buff as the Neils Esperson. The scourge of beige has been with us a long time - just look at Neils Esperson, 1001 McKinney, Commerce Tower, what I still can't break myself from calling the old Gulf Building, Houston Club, the brick portion of Americana, etc., etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 natural color of masonry is very different from applied color though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 In a demonstration of how eager I am to escape what I'm working on this afternoon (however briefly), I just went downstairs to take a look. The whitish spandrel brick still visible under the bottom left windows looks to have been painted white at one time. The adjoining bays also look to have been painted but then soiled. Tucked around the corner and behind the curtain wall of the little alley filler building between 806 Main and 801 Travis is some once upon a time exterior brick that is about the same shade of buff as the Neils Esperson. The scourge of beige has been with us a long time - just look at Neils Esperson, 1001 McKinney, Commerce Tower, what I still can't break myself from calling the old Gulf Building, Houston Club, the brick portion of Americana, etc., etc... Beige/sandstone also had its moment in the 1940s-early 1950s (your examples, Herman Hospital, Shamrock etc) but interestingly there was a swing towards white and turquoise through the 1960s. Examples are Medical Towers, St Lukes, Americana, Melrose, Exxon, Sheraton-Lincoln, First City, Alley Theater. The turquoise in particular came to seem dated in the 1970s and in some cases was covered up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I think most early 20th century architects thought beige was "appropriate" for the southwest, so we got lots of beige. I think the old brick on this one was yellowish-beige. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I'm going to continue to describe the color as "buff" in honor of the age of the older examples, for which beige would also imply boring and formulaic (not that they weren't boring and formulaic in their time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaderJF Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Pictures from today: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Shiny new glass on the skinny Rusk side part... Full shot - note the scaffolvators are coming down... \ Far off shot... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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