A development report from Hines includes this rendering of what appears to be the new Apache Corporation headquarters planned for mixed-use BLVD Place just north of the Galleria. The report names the wafer-like building “Project Alpha” and describes it as 34 stories and 750,000-sq.-ft. of office space with a fitness center and cafeteria. Currently, Apache is headquartered at Post Oak Central.
- “Project Alpha” — 34-Story Office Tower [HAIF]
- BLVD Place coverage [Swamplot]
- Previously on Swamplot: New Plans Show BLVD Place with Apache Office Tower Stamped in the Middle of It
Rendering: Hines
Sure is ugly and boring
I Think it’s Elegant and Dignified.
Good for the location.
Houston is about the dollar above all else. If pretty’s going to cost them extra money, you ain’t gettin’ pretty.
Last I heard was that Apache had not finalized the decision to build. They own the lot though so I imagine it will go up at some point.
This is architecture, folks. Pure, no-nonsense, suit and tie modernism. Reminds me of the Seagram building.
Well that’s boring as hell.
Even the new tower in Midland is more interesting than that. Heck, the new Midland tower is more interesting than every new tower in H-Town!
Why is every new design in Houston so plain and boring? I don’t get it.
This city needs some major design overhaul.
And here’s the Midland tower.
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2013/07/striking-tower-proposed-for-midland/#13948-10
Its pretty dull, but at least its simple and not a Frankenbuilding with 8 different wall treatments like BBVA Compass. As far as dull box buildings go, the new BHP building going in up the street is going to be a lot worse.
Personally I think it looks very sharp and suits its tenant well. The lobby’s nice and bright; like the eave surrounding it. And I like the recessed sides—bam, you’ve expanded the number of “corner offices” instantly.
It looks like something that would plug into a computer. Not good, not bad but it will eventually be appreciated for the era in which it was built eventually.
The Midland tower will never get built.
If you read the comments of Midlanders about the Midland Tower, you feel like deja vu all over again… Monstrosity, shades buildings next door, destroys trees, eats little children for breakfast etc.
I do agree Houston needs some diversity in buildings – See NYC diversity in new construction… BUT I do like this. Very simple and crisp.
Nate, Shantrelle, anonymous,
Yeah, well, I think the Apache tower looks better, so there, prove me wrong.
The Midland tower may never get built, but you have to admit the design is much more interesting than what we’ve seen in regards to anything in Houston.
From the base to the tip, there’s much more to behold.
I like the design. It looks like a well made/ taylored suit.
Looks great, its always nice to see a new high-rise proposal. Cant wait to see it built.
I like the design. Harkens back to 60s modern architecture. It’ll look great with all of the clean lines of BLVD Place. Of course, I also think the Humble Bldg downtown and the Wortham Tower on Allen Parkway are stunning as well.
“From the base to the tip, there’s much more to behold.”
Wait, what are we taling about here?
Yes, this building will win no prize. It’s elegant I suppose, in a staid dull sort of way–I was hoping it would be closer to the height of Marathon, but alas it won’t be as tall. I don’t understand why Houston can’t get more tapered Art Deco esque buildings like the beloved Transco–you ask any Houstonian their favorite skyscaper and 9 out of 10 will chose Transco–instead we get these dull blue glass boxes over and over again–and how in the world does a backwater like Midland get a proposed 58 story tower and Houston gets nothing above 50–tho really who thinks that Midland mess will get built–I mean, right?
Wether it’s commercial buildings or our overdone mid rise apartment designs the curse of the “Box” strikes again! “Stop the Insanity” please. It’s obvious architects need go back to the drawing board, or their computers? Where is the creativity.
How soon do you think the Downtown & Galleria skylines will merge? Another tower coming!
It seems lately that the trend towards buildings in the US that are north of 50 floors is to have mixed uses like the Midland building. Chicago and New York have towers with maybe 20 floors of hotel space, then 30 or more floors of condos. The 80 story Aqua tower in Chicago, built a couple years ago, has a hotel, rental apartments, then condos closer toward the top. Houston’s development community hasn’t embraced this sort of building yet. But then, I’m not sure Houstonians have embraced high rise living either.
Houstonians haven’t embraced highrise living?!!–what planet are you on–Houston has tons on high end highrises–only NYC and Chicago have more!–but I’m with you on the trend of mixed use not catching on in Houston yet–I keep waiting for at least an Austonian in height–our tallest residential high rise is The Huntingdon and it was built almost 30 years ago –Houston has always been dynamic and its been leading the nation in economic growth for 10 years! and has so little to show for it–the skyline hasn’t changed in 30 years!!–all these lame tepid 30-45 story buildings –even Philly, dying economically crippled Philly got a 900+ foot tower –the Houston skyline is beautiful, but geez the skyline has barely changed in my lifetime and I’m not 20
To this day I do not understand the obsession about skyscraper heights. Do people actually measure a city’s worth/coolness by how tall the buildings are?
@Shannon “Houston has tons on high end highrises–only NYC and Chicago have more”
Miami might be in the running. But I am not nerdy enough to check or care.
@Shannon “Houston has always been dynamic and its been leading the nation in economic growth for 10 years! and has so little to show for it”
Abject silliness.
Y’all are crazy. This building is like a 21st century adaptation of probably the most critically acclaimed skyscraper of the 20th century. It does more for our architectural landscape than some flamboyant, Dallas-like sky sculpture.
http://designkultur.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/mies_van_der_rohe_seagram_building_chicago2_jpg.jpg
Zing.
Limestone is a great name–thick and porous –I won’t even bother answering you–and Mike, dude if you think this is Mies Van dee Rohe or Richard Meier, I really don’t know what to say
“you ask any Houstonian their favorite skyscaper and 9 out of 10 will chose Transco”
Really? It’s not very high on my list. Not even in the top 3.
3. Wells Fargo Plaza: 80’s glam and decadence with a top hat shaped as $$$ and covered in a glass shade of US Currency GREEN.
2. J.P. Morgan Chase Tower designed by I.M. Pei… nuff said.
1. Let’s go back in time to 1975 when NYT’s architecture critic, Ada Louis Huxtable named Houston’s Pennzoil Place the BUILDING OF THE DECADE. This Philip Johnson designed skyscraper screams Gotham City and I still wonder if Bruce Wayne is hiding in there. It is hands down the most iconic building in the city.
@shane–you’re all alone on that list–I.M. Pei has designed many mediocre buildings, Chase bring one of his worst–and Wells Fargo, the former Allied Bank is Keatings worst building for SOM in the Houston office. I love Philip Johnson so I’ll give the Pennziol, but even he preferred Republic Bank and Transco–it’s absurd to say that I’m wrong about Houston’s love to Transco–it is without question Houston’s favorite building–it’s style, position on the skyline make it the without peer–
And the late great Mrs Huxtable was wrong about many buildings, yes, she was the preeminent architectural critic having created the field, and worked for the august New York Times and Wall Street Journal, but she was not infallible and she had a real bias for International Style, which is not most people’s favorite style, in all do respect to Mies and Le Corbusier
The only thing that is absurd is your rhetoric and broad, sweeping generalizations of what “Houston” favors. Yourself aside, for whom do you speak?
Do you have a constituency?
I speak for myself.
“and Mike, dude if you think this is Mies Van dee Rohe or Richard Meier, I really don’t know what to say”
I said this was like a 21st century updating of the Seagram building. I invite anyone who disagrees to compare the pics. Not sure how Richard Meier got into this.
Explain to me how your criticism of this design as “plain and boring” wouldn’t be equally valid for the Seagram building. I don’t know what to say.
whatever Shane, we’ll agree to disagree, I only grew up here and have actually spoken to Philip Johnson, so what do I know–
One word……..YUCK!