COMMENT OF THE DAY: SEPARATED AT DEATH? 
“The demolition photo makes the Turnberry building resemble that good old, lamented avant-garde 1980s Best Showroom in south Houston . . . the one that from day one looked as if part of it were being demolished, right down to its “loose†bricks . . .” [sabine waugh, commenting on Knocking Down Houston’s Turnberry Tower Without Even Building It] Photo: SITE
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Best? Sort of around Sharpstown? That had the progressively smaller letters in big bright red? I loved that store when I was a kid. They sent 3/4 inch thick catalogues out every year. The back of it was all toys, and was comprehensive. Last time I was there I was looking at C64 games. Then they closed and Best Buy came along, and I thought it was a Total rip off of Best.
Behind Almeda Mall.
The “indeterminate facade” Best was at Kingspoint at Keckley in SE Houston. A stupid owner removed the interesting facade a few years ago when the space was converted into a warehouse. Now it’s just a bland building instead of an artistic comment on bland buildings.
OK, I went to the SITE site linked above and saw even more of the Peeling Project showrooms built for Best Products.
I like them all, especially number 7 where the whole building looks like it is tilted backwards!
I wish they had identified the cities where the store was located.
Those Best facdes were the best! I’m happy to be reminded of them. Aaahh, it seemed in the ’80s that anything was possible…
Who was responsible for the designs? Frank Gehry? Several architects?
Nice YouTube video from SITE with shots of their various BEST stores building designs form all over the US, including the Almeda store mentioned: http://youtu.be/sxPuM4w3c2g
The good news is the US Golf and Games is still around the corner after all these years. The same dude who was there back in the mid 80’s is still there behind the counter, too. That place is definitely one of Houston’s hidden gems!
The designes were all by James Wines and his architecture office, Site. Revolutionary!
I loved that building. It was so unexpected. Then some boring, lame brained, no vision owner bought and covered up the coolest feature about the building. It was a selling point. Translation= higher rent. It is reminiscent of the “desconstructed” trend that was popular in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s.
Ooops. Typo: deconstructed.
whooooaahh…that picture brings back a thousand memories as a kid. good old pasadena, so glad i’m outta that dump. wasn’t that just across the street or around the corner from that strip center with the candy / ice cream store?
My dates were off: the Houston Best went up in 1974, not the 80s. Disproportionately excited to have been chosen Comment of the Day!