COMMENT OF THE DAY: RISE OF THE MEMORIAL CITY MONSTER 
“Does any else remember the old Memorial City Hospital that used to sit on the east-bound Katy Freeway feeder (west of Gessner)? It was once just a small 3 stories tall. Then they built 3 more floors on top of those, making it 6. Then it kept growing/morphing until it turned into the crazy space alien tower that it is today.
Memorial City Mall has similarly morphed and changed continuously over the past 3 decades, constantly changing its footprint, accessibility, and façade. I would love to see some sort of time lapse of all the changes. With this expansion across I-10, I’m envisioning an eventual network of skywalks spanning the freeway to connect it all, like a great big vampire squid.” [Superdave, commenting on Memorial City Prepares To Cross the Katy] Illustration: Lulu
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Is that the hospital over by 99 Ranch that has that crazy glass…crown (?) on it? That thing is absolutely hideous. That goes down as one of the 2 ugliest buildings in houston, tied with that abomination on Kirby near memorial, next to where they are putting that assisted living facility (apparently there are quite a few of those style, and they are all abominations in the face of god, but that’s the one I remember seeing regularly).
Crud. I meant an abomination in the *eyes* of god. I’m really sorry about that everyone.
The Energy Corridor District has a webpage on a “Livable Center Study” that also floats the idea of a big pedestrian plaza bridge spanning the I-10 near the Addicks Park and Ride. It’s fun to think about but if this hasn’t happened on the West Loop, I don’t know why it would happen on the Katy Freeway instead..
We can’t even get people to use the pedestrian bridges across Allen Parkway, and that’s only four lanes wide. Instead, they play Frogger and run across the lanes between traffic. What makes anyone think people will use a pedestrian bridge across 26 lanes of freeway (including feeders)?
The Memorial Hermann Memorial Tower: the badly massed building with a giant pineapple on its roof. The saving grace is that it has nice views. But then, almost any tall building has those.
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That said, I think it’d be pretty awesome to have a shopping mall built to span a freeway. There are buildings like this in Europe, and Asia is famous for them. There’s one in Boston, too, if I remember correctly.
Would TDoT ever permit someone to build over the freeway? It seems like they would want to keep all options options open for double-decking the roadways, etc. It’s just a matter of time until we will need to expand the Katy to 52 lanes. When that project happens, I hope that the demolition of Memorial Hermann Tower will be required to make an on-ramp.
Why all the hate for Purple Pineapple Pinnacle? I for one am sure that when the aliens come “Independance Day” styel, they’ll take out that building first.
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My wife delivered our oldest daughter in this hospital. I kept asking all the doctors if they had ever been up there, none had. None of the elevators even had buttons that go up that high. Eventually I got a security guard to tell me that the hospital stops on like floor 10 or 12, and it’s all Metro National corporate office space above that. Presumably their execs sit in the death star. Now I can’t help but imagine them all in Dark Helmet costumes, sitting up there playing with dolls.
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CoD:
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“Would TDoT ever permit someone to build over the freeway? It seems like they would want to keep all options options open for double-decking the roadways, etc. It’s just a matter of time until we will need to expand the Katy to 52 lanes. When that project happens, I hope that the demolition of Memorial Hermann Tower will be required to make an on-ramp.”
OK, I guess I must be an old dude now, because I remember when it was Memorial Hospital, in the original 1-story building. My dad was a physician who had some of his patients there. As I understand it (I could be wrong), but it was mainly the project of a guy named Johnson, and I wonder if his descendants are the principals in MetroNational. I recall seeing oil paintings of Johnson and some other people in the lobby of one of the newer buildings (before the giant abomination was built). Another physician who practiced next door related some stories to us that made Johnson sound like an unethical crook. Admittedly, that’s just hearsay. The hospital took care of my mom and the staff was great. That’s where she died, so I do have some emotion over it.
@ GoogleMaster, Who would use a pedestrian bridge across 26 lanes?
Whoever does gets to breed another day.
Darwin, man.
That Memorial Tower is about the ugliest building in Houston. What in the fuck is that thing on the roof. It looks so cheap. Just an awful building that I unfortunately see all the time.
I’ve said it before: the Death Star crowning the Purple Pineapple Pinnacle Metro National headquarters building is where the aliens broadcast their subliminal message beams ; which subconsciously order all who hear the signal to spend ,spend,spend $$$ at the Memorial City businesses. By the way, the 18th level outdoor infinity pool in the Westin Hotel is wonderful: you’re swimming in a pool from which you have jetliner views of Houston ; you can lay out early in the AM /or later in the afternoon and get some rays ; order room service pool side,including Bloody Marys / Screwdrivers / Mimosas w/ breakfast , enjoy a VERY Zen like rejuvenating day.Then return to your extended stay suite. You’ll be rested and relaxed / take a nap, then mosey over to Vallone’s restaurant for a delish meal…
The Memorial City Memorial Hermann/Metro National building is a landmark for contemporary architecture in Houston. It’s a shining beacon of what developers can get away with. The days of our golden years, constructing award winning and famous towers, are long gone. This is our generation’s Pennzoil Place.
Look around & open your eyes to poor excuses of design that continue to grow like weeds across the landscape. Even Hines’ newest tower Downtown is a copy cat from another city (same architect).