Comments on: The Park Where Houston Architecture Critics Go To Sharpen Their Chops http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Tue, 21 May 2013 06:46:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Westhope http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-278426 Westhope Sun, 09 Sep 2012 23:18:09 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-278426 FLLW visited the Shamrock to receive a gold medal from the American Institute of Architects. Leaving a boring cocktail party Wright gave future architect E. Fay Jones and a fellow student from Rice a private tour of the hotel with its 67 different shades of green. Great pity the community lost the fantastic pool but it is good to see the Burgee park improve with the growth of the vegetation. FLLW visited the Shamrock to receive a gold medal from the American Institute of Architects. Leaving a boring cocktail party Wright gave future architect E. Fay Jones and a fellow student from Rice a private tour of the hotel with its 67 different shades of green. Great pity the community lost the fantastic pool but it is good to see the Burgee park improve with the growth of the vegetation.

]]> By: Matt Mystery http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-278139 Matt Mystery Sat, 08 Sep 2012 20:41:51 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-278139 To hell with Remember the Alamo. Remember the Shamrock! To hell with Remember the Alamo. Remember the Shamrock!

]]> By: Ahn http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-278051 Ahn Sat, 08 Sep 2012 14:10:55 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-278051 There is a great section of the Texas oil fortune book "The Big Rich" devoted to McCarthy and his building, maintaining, and ultimately losing the Shamrock- a great read. There is a great section of the Texas oil fortune book “The Big Rich” devoted to McCarthy and his building, maintaining, and ultimately losing the Shamrock- a great read.

]]> By: Alex1776 http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277939 Alex1776 Sat, 08 Sep 2012 03:44:00 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277939 McCarthy, a legend in his own right, with a dream in his mind built the Shamrock Hotel, it was one of a kind, and promoted the grand openening like no other. That opening was so popular,that it became chaos. Honor the man, that chased the dream, put everything on the line, and eventually lost the property, but he put his heart into it, and along the way lived the American dream. That's the American's chose. The Houstonian spirit to reach for the stars. McCarthy, a legend in his own right, with a dream in his mind built the Shamrock Hotel, it was one of a kind, and promoted the grand openening like no other. That opening was so popular,that it became chaos.
Honor the man, that chased the dream, put everything on the line, and eventually lost the property, but he put his heart into it, and along the way lived the American dream.

That’s the American’s chose. The Houstonian spirit to reach for the stars.

]]> By: movocelot http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277882 movocelot Fri, 07 Sep 2012 23:27:38 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277882 don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone? don’t it always seem to go
that you don’t know
what you’ve got
til it’s gone?

]]> By: PYEWACKET2 http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277843 PYEWACKET2 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:23:32 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277843 @Mike, Where were you and your money when it came down? @Mike,

Where were you and your money when it came down?

]]> By: miss_msry http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277819 miss_msry Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:13:53 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277819 TO PYEWACKET2: I also attended the Quilt Fest there, can't remember when exactly. Early to mid 80s. And you are right about the condition. TO PYEWACKET2:

I also attended the Quilt Fest there, can’t remember when exactly. Early to mid 80s. And you are right about the condition.

]]> By: Mike http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277785 Mike Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:25:28 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277785 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. 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.

]]> By: REarchitect http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277634 REarchitect Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:36:34 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277634 As Frank Lloyd Wright is reported to have said upon visiting the Shamock Hotel "I see the sham but where's the rock". It wasn't the greatest building. Neither is the fountain that great. As Frank Lloyd Wright is reported to have said upon visiting the Shamock Hotel “I see the sham but where’s the rock”. It wasn’t the greatest building. Neither is the fountain that great.

]]> By: 'stina http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277632 'stina Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:07:23 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277632 I grew up down the street from the Shamrock and spent every summer in the pool until 1986 when they shut it down. I LOVED that place. The park is fine. I work in the Med Center and walk there for a quiet lunch when the weather is nice. It's the parking lot that makes me sad. I grew up down the street from the Shamrock and spent every summer in the pool until 1986 when they shut it down. I LOVED that place.

The park is fine. I work in the Med Center and walk there for a quiet lunch when the weather is nice. It’s the parking lot that makes me sad.

]]> By: PYEWACKET2 http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277624 PYEWACKET2 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:40:34 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277624 I remember going to the Quilt Festival in one of the meeting rooms of the Shamrock back in the 80s. Yes, that Quilt Festival that is now held in the GRB. In ALL of the GRB. True, it was the early days for the quilt phenomenon, everything has to start somewhere. But the main thing I remember about that experience was the low ceilings and stumbly loose carpet in the room. Sure, I still bought things but it was not the magnificent "wonder" that I had been led to believe all those years since I was in high school (yeah, a long time ago). What I'm saying is that the Shamrock had it's heyday but it was probably at the point where it would have required a huge amount of renovation and updating. But, I agree, the pool could have been retained but to what end? I remember going to the Quilt Festival in one of the meeting rooms of the Shamrock back in the 80s. Yes, that Quilt Festival that is now held in the GRB. In ALL of the GRB.

True, it was the early days for the quilt phenomenon, everything has to start somewhere. But the main thing I remember about that experience was the low ceilings and stumbly loose carpet in the room.

Sure, I still bought things but it was not the magnificent “wonder” that I had been led to believe all those years since I was in high school (yeah, a long time ago).

What I’m saying is that the Shamrock had it’s heyday but it was probably at the point where it would have required a huge amount of renovation and updating.

But, I agree, the pool could have been retained but to what end?

]]> By: miss_msry http://swamplot.com/the-park-where-houston-architecture-critics-go-to-sharpen-their-chops/2012-09-06/#comment-277606 miss_msry Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:28:21 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47025#comment-277606 They should have kept the Shamrock pool AND built this park around it. But all said, I don't hate it. They should have kept the Shamrock pool AND built this park around it. But all said, I don’t hate it.

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