I'm definitely with you on that one! I've never understood why Houston likes to keep its tall buildings so dark at night. Most of the ones that are lighted are lit up with those cheap looking, inefficient, incandescent Christmas lights year round & it just makes Houston's skyline look like lighting was an after thought, unlike in a couple of other Texas cities.
I really would like to see Chase Tower do some blue & white (Chase colors) LED's at the very top. I wonder who I might contact about this?
I agree on the lighting issue. Dallas' lighting is great, and some of Austin's new skyscrapers are very creative with lighting (e.g., Monarch).
i actually like houston's approach to the lighting as opposed to the gaudy colors in other skylines.
I agree mostly, as Dallas's downtown looks gaudy at night. I would like Houston to have some lighting at night, somewhat like Austin but not nearly as much lighting if that makes sense. I think some minimal lighting would do wonders.
Here are just a few DT Houston buildings that never light up anymore:
Wells Fargo Plaza - White neon band at the top only partially lit and/or broken.
Wedge International - Used to be outlined in green neon like Dallas' BOA, then later just the very tops, now nothing at all.
Heritage Plaza - Myan top used to be outlined with white neon in the shape of an eagle.
1400 Smith (old Enron building) - Used to have a band of white neon around the very top.
Reliant Energy Plaza - Always put on a psychedelic light show when first built a few years ago, now its only occasionally on.
Calpine Center - Once had small accenting flood lights at the top when first built a few years ago...that didn't last very long at all.
Definitley boring but the height does grab your attention!
Houston could use some more nighttime lighting! I also recall Heritage Plaza's top having the state of Texas outlined in white neon which I thought was cool.
It's pretty unspectacular, but you know, it's not any less so than the old WTC towers (the new one looks sick in the renderings though) or - wait for it - the Sears/Willis Tower, the mother of all "sore thumbs" in my humble opinion. But it's good for going up and taking some awesome pictures...well, as awesome as I can do here...
Wells Fargo's in the middle there...
And I can't dislike the building too much if they allow photography from up there and provide a free observation deck (unlike the $15 you'd pay in Chicago for the Sears). Hope it stays that way. Despite its seeming blandness, the Chase is one of those many attractions in this city of which even a lot of Houstonians are unaware.
Maybe in a decade or so, that granite will be just ripe for a First Canadian Place-style reclad. Other than that, I think this building is pretty awesome. It's massive and imposing; fitting for a huge city like Houston.
Maybe in a decade or so, that granite will be just ripe for a First Canadian Place-style reclad.
i would doubt it. the problem with the cladding on toronto's FCP was the fact that very thin marble veneer panels were used, and they were in no way robust enough to stand up to the harsh northern climate of toronto. chicago's aon center, another E.D. stone designed building, employed the very same type of thin marble veneer panels and experienced very similar problems and had it's cladding switched to white granite back in the 90s. the problem with both buildings was the thinness of the marble panes and the harsh climates. granite is a FAR more durable material and should the granite on chase tower be properly maintained, and given houston's much more benevolent climate, i would expect its granite cladding to be able to last a very long time. the integrity of the granite is probably fine, all it likely needs is a good thorough cleaning. chase tower in chicago, an 850' tall granite clad monster from the 60s just had a complete facade refurbishment and the granite cladding has come sparkling back to life. the tower hasn't looked so good in decades.
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Last edited by Steely Dan; Apr 26, 2011 at 2:52 PM.
Up close it has an OK texture to it, but from further away it just seems so incredibly bland. The design is not worthy of the height in any way.
Don't mind my statement. I use to hate the Sears Tower...until I moved to Chicago and lived with it for 14 years...from the first time I saw it in person I was amazed. THE TIE IN....same thing about this building....it really is classy and beautiful in person. Was surprised.
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I think they should light up the chase tower every night. I saw it lit up in blue, on the top one night, when the final four college basketball thing was going on when houston was in the spot light. I have never seen it lit up blue since then, but have seen the christmas lights on top lit up during the holidays. Still love this building, it compliments wells fargo when you see downtown from different parts of the city.
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