    
| |
|---|---|
| Home :: Building Database :: Forum | You are here  Architecture  Houston West Loop 77056
|
|
| |
|---|---|
| Home :: Building Database :: Forum | You are here Architecture Houston West Loop 77056
|
 Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation  Photograph © Wayne Lorentz/Artefaqs Corporation |
Williams Tower
2800 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77056 United States Print this page • 
Share this page
Architecturally simple, but culturally significant to the people of Houston. The Williams Tower rises 64 stories over the Galleria Area and has become an icon of the city. Had it been cast in stone, rather than glass it would be easily mistaken for any of the skyscrapers that went up before the Great Depression. Now it is a memorial to those buildings that went before it, and still in-line with the other glass blocks that share its zip code. The structure at the bottom of the tower isn't a lobby, it's a fountain. A great horseshoe water wall that lights up at night. However, in this photo, the water is not flowing. The Williams Tower is actually constructed as two 32-story buildings stacked on top of each other. The first floor lobby services the Williams Corporation and its offices on floors three through 32. The second floor lobby services a number of other companies on floors 33-64. Tenants boast that this is the tallest office building outside an urban core in America. Unlike most buildings in the Bayou City, the Williams Tower is impressive at night. Even though it has the same light-dimming skyline-ruining glass that the other towers in the city do, the Williams Tower makes up for it by having a rotating beacon on top. It's similar to an aircraft beacon, but much more visible. It is said that its rotation was at one time synchronized with a similar beacon on the Palmolive Building in Chicago, but there is little proof. There is a sky lobby that also serves as an observation deck on the 51st floor.. Unfortunately, it faces out over dull suburbia, rather than towards downtown, or any of Houston's other six skylines. You may not be able to go there, anyway. It was closed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the public hasn't been welcome since. Sponsored by: Towrs: The architecture site you help build Quick Facts
Notes
>16 December, 2002 - A man described by his family as mentally ill took his own life by leaping from the Williams Tower. Ryan Hartley stopped rush hour traffic and caused a spectacle when he started climbing the outside of the glass building at 7:45am local time. Hartley, a skilled rock climber and University of Houston student, used only a hook and a small bag of chalk to make it to the 26th floor where he slipped, but then re-gained control. Witnesses say he paused for a few minutes, smiled, then leapt from the tower to his death while local television helicopters whirled overhead. Though Hartley appeared be a loyal Christian, and regularly attended services and activities at his church, local television station KHOU-TV/DT (11/31) reported that he left behind a suicide note denouncing American military involvement in Muslim countries, and warning that the country was getting itself into another Vietnam-style conflict. When Hartley jumped, Belo-owned CBS affiliate KHOU was on a close-up of the man, but froze the picture as he pushed off of the building. Fox station KRIV-TV/DT (26/27) showed nearly all of Hartley's gruesome suicide. All the local television stations in Houston publically bray about having a policy against televising suicides. But only NBC affiliate KPRC-TV/DT (2/35), ABC's KTRK-TV/DT (13/32), Univision's KXLN-TV/DT (45/46), NBC's KTMD-TV/DT(47/48), and News24Houston chose to abide by their public policy. > March 25, 2008 - The Houston Chronicle reports that Hines REIT is buying this building and the adjacent parking garage for $271,500,000. Rate This Skyscraper method='post' action='Building.php?ID=542#Rate'>Current rating:  80% name='Rating' id='Rating' value='Praise' class='Plain'> name='Rating' id='Rating' value='Raze' class='Plain'>Your Thoughts There are 18 comments.
Brenton Allen McClanahan - Thursday, March 20th, 2008 @ 12:21pm
David Perry - Thursday, November 8th, 2007 @ 8:33am
Pamela - Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 @ 4:29pm
Avitosh Tiwari - Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 @ 5:19pm
STEPHEN VEAL - Wednesday, April 11th, 2007 @ 10:38pm
Harold Johnson - Friday, February 9th, 2007 @ 2:56am
Rafael Cabanillas - Friday, January 26th, 2007 @ 8:13pm
Susie Qzzer - Friday, December 1st, 2006 @ 10:10am
Daniel Bolduc - Monday, July 24th, 2006 @ 12:20am
architect ilyas siddiqui - Saturday, July 22nd, 2006 @ 3:37am
Gene Moss - Monday, May 1st, 2006 @ 7:29pm
Dave Bastida - Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 @ 4:09pm
Eugene Smith - Tuesday, March 28th, 2006 @ 4:37pm
john - Sunday, March 20th, 2005 @ 8:36pm
Joy Anderson - Friday, March 18th, 2005 @ 12:31pm
Christian - Sunday, January 30th, 2005 @ 12:45pm
Alan MacHett - Thursday, January 27th, 2005 @ 8:20pm
John Mcenzie - Wednesday, December 22nd, 2004 @ 7:04pm |
|
HAI Community
|
HAI Extras
|
HAI Tools
|
HAI Sister Sites
|
|---|---|---|---|
Copyright 2008 Artefaqs Corporation.
Artefaqs® and the Artefaqs logo are registered trademarks of the Artefaqs Corporation.
I remember this building as a child, I love this building
One of the reasons this is such a significan structure in Houston (IMHO) is that it is very much taller than anything else near it. One can see this building from almost anywhere in this city. AdditionallY, I have personally been able to see this building from College Station, Tx just after takeoff from the airport (I fly and it was a very clear day). The building is not only attractive and efficient, but a landmark due to it's placement. 
It's average. The only striking aspect of this building is that it stands taller than everything around it. I admire the linear facade and the monolithic style, but, to quote the article, it is "in-line with the other glass blocks that share its zip code" -- in other words, unremarkable. And I can't believe the article complains about its light-dimming glass, as if we don't already have enough light pollution.
