COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE SHAMROCK HOTEL SHINE AND FALL “Wasn’t the greatest building, because Frank Lloyd Wright said so? The same guy who hated every skyscraper in New York City? This was Houston’s most famous landmark before the Astrodome. It was what people around the country thought of when they thought of the city. The point of the Frank Lloyd Wright story should be that the nation’s most famous architect HAD to make a visit there and give his opinion, it was that renowned. It captured a whole era of the city’s history — its rollicking, mid-century, oil-rich extravagance — better than any other building. But it made sense to tear it down because, gosh, it would have required renovating and updating. Oh, and the ceiling heights were low! With that reasoning, any historic building in the world would be torn down at some point.” [Mike, commenting on The Park Where Houston Architecture Critics Go To Sharpen Their Chops]
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I hope that we never stop tearing down wonderful things. If it does, then that means that the impetus to build wonderful things has also been lost, and that land prices have moderated.
It may not have been an architectural landmark but the Shamrock was nonetheless probably the most famous landmark in Houston. Large and looming and complete with a swimming pool you could have boat races in. It reflected every bit of Texas that was reflected in “Giant.” That it was torn down just reflected the reality of historic preservation in this city. A building is historic only until someone wants it for something else. In this case a parking lot. “They paved paradise, and put in a parking lot….”
I still have my “Save the Shamrock” t-shirt. Last time I wore it several people asked me what the Shamrock was. Sad.
They didn’t have boat races. We did do waterski shows there for several years..
Build wonderful things like that parking lot, Niche? You can save wonderful things and build wonderful things too. Most cities have figured this out.
“I hope that we never stop tearing down wonderful things. If it does, then that means that the impetus to build wonderful things has also been lost, and that land prices have moderated”
Translation from developerspeak into plain English:
“I hope people let us tear down all the great old architecture and design because the cheap, conventional and imaginationless junk that we turn out looks pathetic in comparison.”