Gulf Building Houston Texas is a photograph by Alexandra Till which was uploaded on March 4th, 2014.
Title
Gulf Building Houston Texas
Artist
Alexandra Till
Medium
Photograph - Photographs - Prints - Digital Images - Cards - Posters - Photo-calendars - Photo Art
Description
© Christine Till
left: BG Group Place - Formerly MainPlace, Block 93
middle: 712 Main - Formerly: JPMorgan Chase Bank Building - Formerly: Gulf Building
right: JPMorgan Chase Tower
Historic buildings are a great way to explore the past of any city, and Houston, Texas is no exception.
Nestled beautifully in the heart of downtown Houston, 712 Main (formerly: JPMorgan Chase Bank Building - formerly: Gulf Building) was constructed in 1929. The property is 36 stories and was the tallest skyscraper in Houston until 1963. Although now dwarfed by much higher neighboring skyscrapers 712 Main is truly a local treasure.
The iconic 37-story Art Deco skyscraper is rich in history and a defining landmark of downtown Houston. It is an explosion of art deco, half way between a wedding cake and a medieval castle. The skyscraper is Gothic in design on the outside and inside. When the building opened it boasted Houston's most elaborate Art Deco interiors. The detailing in the Main Street lobby and original National Bank of Commerce banking hall are still intact.
Texas Commerce Bank initiated the restoration of the building in 1989, in what is still considered one of the largest privately funded preservation projects in American history.
The art-deco skyscraper is very unique. The Gulf Building marked the high point of the Roaring '20s construction boom that was transforming Houston from a Southern town to a major metropolis.
Uploaded
March 4th, 2014
