The pitch-perfect paean to the only city we knew could have been taken straight from Exodus, or the Voluntary Prisoners of Architecture: The Avowal (1972) by Rem Koolhaas and Elia Zenghelis with Madelon Vriesendorp and Zoe Zenghelis [...] No wonder, then, that of all the images from this project, a photocollage of musicians posing in the “strip of intense metropolitan desirability” resonates with my memories of Houston and its eclectic punk scene. — Enrique Ramirez, Harvard Design Magazine
Inspired by the confusing yet formative years of adolescence, Harvard Design Magazine's “Seventeen” issue explores “teens of all sorts—humans, buildings, objects, ideas—and their impact on the spatial imagination”. In the poetic “Life Begins at the Apocalypse Monster Club” by... View full entry
As aid workers and Texans begin to take stock of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Harvey, museums across Houston, the fourth biggest city in the country and one of the areas hardest hit by the storm, are starting to reopen.
Gary Tinterow, the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), announced Friday that the institution would partially reopen on Tuesday 5 September with free admission through Thursday, 7 September. He offered the museum “as a place for reflection and renewal.”
— The Art Newspaper
While a leisurely visit to the museum may not be on the minds right now of Houston residents hit the hardest by Hurricane Harvey, reopening its cultural institutions is an important first step for the city to start the long process of recovery and breathe new life into the civic spirit. View full entry
Houston calls itself “the city with no limits” to convey the promise of boundless opportunity. But it also is the largest U.S. city to have no zoning laws, part of a hands-off approach to urban planning that may have contributed to catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey and left thousands of residents in harm’s way. — The Washington Post
Hurricane Harvey is drawing renewed scrutiny to Houston's 'Wild West' approach to planning and its unusual system for managing floodwater that, according to environmentalists, greatly diminishes land's natural ability to absorb water. While local officials have defended the city's take on... View full entry
Rain continues to fall in Houston, Texas, a city which may see up to 50 inches of precipitation over a span of five days thanks to the aftereffects of Hurricane Harvey. Unfortunately, the continued flooding has been exacerbated due to some decades-long, head-in-the-sand urban planning, the history... View full entry
After a three-year search that included more than 30 potential sites, the American Institute of Architects Houston Chapter selected the 1906 Riesner Building, to be the home of Architecture Center Houston, which is expected to open in mid-September.
Originally, the three-story Riesner Building was a typical commercial building for its time, complete with double French doors facing the street.
— Houston Chronicle
The winning entry for the 'Re-Imagine Architecture Center Houston' competition, designed by Murphy Mears Architects, proposed to devote the first floor of ReACH to flexible office and meeting space, restore the original brick and openings in the West façade, and re-purpose the Boiler Room for... View full entry
The ninth annual Spotlight Prize has been awarded to the Finnish firm OOPEAA. The award, given by the Rice Design Alliance—a non-profit program connected to Rice's School of Architecture—celebrates the work of emerging architects from the U.S. and abroad. Eligible candidates must be within... View full entry
What's more relaxing than a glass-bottomed sky pool 42 stories above Houston? Well, pretty much every other thing in the known universe, which makes the existence of this Jackson + Ryan Architects-designed pool not only an eye-catching publicity stunt for the residential tower's developer, but a... View full entry
Harris County commissioners have chosen Houston-based Kirksey Architecture to design a project to retrofit the Astrodome by raising its floor and installing parking spaces underneath.
The $105 million project -- unveiled by county officials in September -- is the most recent attempt to secure the building's future. [...]
Many feared then that the world's first multi-purpose domed stadium for sporting events would face the wrecking ball.
— Houston Chronicle
Houston "Eighth Wonder of the World" previously in the Archinect news:ULI report says Houston Astrodome “can and should live on”Urban Land Institute issues recommendations for Houston's AstrodomeThe Astrodome: The World's Largest Indoor Garden?Can buildings be too young to save?Winners of the... View full entry
The Rothko Chapel in Houston, a masterpiece of midcentury architecture, houses 14 panels by the revered artist Mark Rothko. But the Chapel is in need of some TLC, from fixing the HVAC system to improving the lighting. The New York-based office Architecture Research Office (ARO) has been selected... View full entry
Gearing up for another eventful school year this fall? Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you... View full entry
By the year 2020, however, America’s fourth largest city will be able to claim a “premier” botanic garden all its own in the form of Houston Botanic Garden (HBG). [...]
And, as it turns out, some folks living in the neighborhoods abutting the golf course would rather not see a stunning botanic garden designed by the same Dutch landscape architecture firm behind the redevelopment of New York City's Governors Island take its place. And it’s not because they're necessarily gaga over golf.
— mnn.com
To learn more about the Houston Botanic Garden master plan, which recently won mayoral approval, click here.Related stories in the Archinect news:Does Houston's architecture lack poetry?The Astrodome: The World's Largest Indoor Garden?The Bayou Greenways Plan: A Game-Changer for Houston? View full entry
Houston's architects obviously do not read poetry.
None of the corporate buildings, apartments and hotels being built now seems like something we'll be proud of 20 years from now. Of course, that's assuming that those buildings even survive 20 years in a city that is characterized by destroying its architectural past. [...]
But maybe we citizens can influence the builders. We can tell them how ugly their buildings are. We can refuse to rent space in them.
— houstonchronicle.com
Related stories in the Archinect news:Museum of Fine Arts Houston unveils its Steven Holl-designed $450M expansion planThe Astrodome: The World's Largest Indoor Garden?Looking to Houston — Yes, Houston — as a Model for Better Street DesignThe Bayou Greenways Plan: A Game-Changer for Houston? View full entry
Nick Cecchi penned a review of ‘Lina Bo Bardi: Together’ on view at the Graham Foundation through July 25th. He found the"narrow focus wisely limits Together to investigating the conditions and experiences that helped shape Bo Bardi’s mature approach to architecture...Bo Bardi’s work and... View full entry
Houston’s iconic NRG Astrodome “can and should live on” as a multi-use park that will enhance the quality of life for residents of the city, serve as a popular tourist destination, and catalyze economic development that enhances the greater NRG Park and benefits the region as a whole, according to a report released today from the Urban Land Institute (ULI). — uli.org
Read the full ULI report, The Astrodome, Harris County Texas: A Vision for a Repurposed Icon, here. View full entry
Earlier this week, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston revealed the design of its upcoming $450 million Fayez S. Sarofim Campus. As a milestone in the institution's 90-year history, the 14-acre redevelopment will transform the MFAH and its surrounding neighborhood the city's effort to improve the... View full entry
