And here’s what BHP Billiton Petroleum’s new 30-story tower might look like. The company announced yesterday that construction will begin at 1500 Post Oak in November on the fifth skyscraper at Four Oaks Place; the proposed 560,000-sq.-ft. building, going up where a vacant 24-Hour Fitness now sits, will be connected by a skybridge to the company’s existing 1360 Post Oak building. BHP says that the twinnish towers are meant to consolidate the company’s entire workforce in Uptown.
- BHP Billiton office tower to rise on Post Oak Boulevard [Prime Property]
- BHP Billiton Petroleum unveils plans for Post Oak tower [Houston Business Journal]
- Previously on Swamplot: West Loop Nineties Revival Not Getting Enough Love
Rendering: Houston Business Journal
hellloooo 1970/80’s skyscraper design
That’s a good looking design. I wonder why they dont build it downtown??? hmmm
More office space and yet no subway/light rail in the area? More cars and snobs to an already congested area. Good luck to those who work in the gal area.
Uptown, a bicyclist’s paradise!
That is one boring building, where is the successor of Phillip Johnson’s Houston?
The entire Galleria street “grid” (I use that term loosely here) needs to be reimagined and overhauled. It’s already a nightmare and I can’t imagine driving through the Post Oak corridor at peak hours during all of this construction, let alone after everything is finished in 2-3 years.
I like it. The top borrows a bit from the New York Times building in New York, minus the antenna of course.
@purdue, there’s not a lot you can do with a rectangular shaped building, which is the most efficient in terms of space.
LRS, by “snobs” do you mean somebody with a better job than you?
Bitch bitch bitch traffic. Bitch bitch bitch big box. Bitch bitch glass. Bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch mosquitos. Bitch bitch bitch downtown. Bitch light rail. Bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch noise. Bitch bitch bitch better. Bitch boring. Bitch bitch bitch tall. Bitch ugly. Bitch bitch bitch placement.
I have to agree. I am glad to see the development, but couldn’t they do something more architectural once they get to the top?
Transco (Williams Tower) is still stylish 30 years later. It sold for a record price. People are willing to pay for great designs. That’s why Apple products command so much more $$$.
WHY NOT DOWNTOWN!?1?1? AHHHHH!
I think this building looks pretty sleek.
I think there needed to be a few more “Bitch”s in front of the light rail part of your comment.
I love all these comments for different reasons, but the last one (currently #9) is the best. Oh Houston, I never wished to leave you–but that this comment thread can be so wholly representative of every quality of life issue the place has–makes me ever so glad that fate and chance whisked me away.
And makes me shake my head when I come back to read how Houston is the latest and greatest and best at this or that meaningless ranking. One need only look at this sad rendering complete with fictional foliage atop the monstrous parking garage to know that Houston, at least as these sorts of business leaders envision it, will never be the sort of place most Americans want to live or visit.
I nominate Bitch for Comment of the Year.
It’s nice to see a company headquarters expanding in a central area. I wish Exxon would have done the same.
@Commonsense, yes, I do agree that some snobs might have better jobs than what I have, just like people that are down to earth can have better jobs than yours. Your common sense also failed to address what is really important, how many more of these 30 something story buildings do they need to build in order to have the city consider a serious mass transit project.
I think if you’re upset about it not being downtown you’re missing that the Galleria is an enormous business district in its own right, and further infill isn’t a bad thing.
I agree with the traffic issues. Yikes.
I work in the Galleria area near Transco Tower. I’ve never really had any problems with traffic. I worked downtown in 2010-11 and had more traffic problems there. Downtown there’s always lanes closed for construction, crazy bike people blocking traffic on purpose or 99% people protesting. I’d still rather work in downtown though. There’s much more to do at lunch there. I’ve never really had much problem with traffic in Houston to tell the truth. I just don’t get on the freeways. If traffic ever gets bad enough that I notice it I can always just get on the bus. I ride the bus into work when I’m having work done on my car now.
I think this building looks cool. It’s not just a box, but looks like four triangles that fit together to build the box. If you guys want towers that are insanely interesting, move to Dubai where you can marvel at monstrosities built by slave labor that are sitting unoccupied.
This building would look great somewhere else in Houston. It does not seem to relate very well to the other towers in the Four Oaks Place complex.
That Bitch is funny! and oh so correct!
jgriff,
You ride the bus when you’re not driving your Ferrari. You forgot to add that.
@Jerry: That is true. It’s a Ferrari so it is in the shop quite often. :)
Never be the place most Americans would want to live, huh? Check your facts! Houston is the fastest growing city in America. No one is forcing anyone to come or to stay. People are fighting each other to find apts and houses. If Houston isn’t one of Americas greatest success stories than nothing is. Houston is just fine. You can’t please everyone so why try. Houston will always be what it is – and so far, none of it’s shortcomings have seemed to slow down it’s growth, prosperity or quality of life rankings one bit.
Bitch, it will catch up eventually….look at Detroit if you think an attractive great city can’t die a painful death. Houston’s growth is largely still fueled by energy. We are not attracting new headquarters of non-energy related firms. I like Houston, but will not retire here due to quality of life issues that are ignored or excused away. Your thinking demonstrates to me that you did not live here in the 80’s or you would understand how many people were here only for the jobs with no intention of staying. The population dropped by 250,000 or so in a very short time.
Bobby,
What makes you think those trees atop the garage are ficticious? The architect recently completed a project downtown (BG Group Place) that had actual trees atop it’s garage as well as an upper level terrace. In fact, it even has a stand of bamboo in the basement.
And to all the arm-chair architecture critics, please post your CV with your comments so the rest of us will know who to pay attention to and who to simply feel sorry for.
It’s weird how people comment “Why didn’t they build this downtown?” Buildings server a purpose, people don’t just build them for our entertainment. This building is being built here because that’s where most of their staff is already located. They needed a building here to house the many people they will be hiring in the future. I suppose they could have moved downtown but that would require them to build a building twice this size and probably would have cost them much more money.
My company has just gone through a similar situation. We had the choice to move out of the Galleria and build a new large building. We chose to stay for economic reasons and because the employees voted to stay here.
sjh, Detroit doesn’t have the Port of Houston, a warm climate or business friendly environment. Houston was written off for dead by people like you in the 1980s. It’s best years were supposed to be behind it. I remember it well. For 10-15 years things radically slowed down, but by the mid 90’s things picked up and today it seems to be booming as much as the 70’s but I think in a much smarter way. Can I guarantee that Houston will not turn into Detroit. YES! I promise you Houston will never be Detroit. I can not promise you that Houston’s prosperity will continue for all eternity nor can you promise me that any city other in this world ever will. Houston is making the most of what it has, going with it’s strengths. It’s not for everyone. That’s why they have roads that head out of town. But alas,they have never been used as much as the roads that head IN to town.
P.S. Bitch bitch bitch Detroit. Bitch bitch bitch one horse town. Bitch bitch quality of life.
LoL idk who Bitch is but I love this Bitch!!!!!
agreed John #31…that Bitch is awesome!