CenterPoint Energy Tower (formerly Houston Industries Plaza) is a 741 feet (226 m) tall building in downtown Houston. The original building, finished in 1974, stood at 651 feet (198 m), but a 90-foot (27 m) extension was added as part of a 1996 renovation. Designed by Richard Keating, this renovation dramatically changed the building, the Houston Skyline and the downtown. Keating was also the designer of the nearby Wells Fargo Tower.[citation needed] It has the headquarters of CenterPoint Energy.[1][2]
| CenterPoint Energy Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 1111 Louisiana St. Houston, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 29°45′26″N 95°22′05″W / 29.757214°N 95.367962°W |
| Construction started | 1973 |
| Completed | 1974 |
| Opening | 1974 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 741 ft (226 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 47 |
| Floor area | 1,399,986 sq ft (130,063.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Kendall/Heaton Associates, Inc. |
Historically the building housed the headquarters of Houston Industries (HI) and subsidiary Houston Lighting & Power (HL&P).[3] In 1999 Houston Industries changed its name to Reliant Energy.[4] When Reliant Energy moved out of the building and moved into the new Reliant Energy Plaza in 2003, the company left over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) of space vacant.[5]
Around 1995 the building owners added a circle-shaped canopy that is five stories tall, due to a business competitor down the street having a building taller than theirs. Clifford Pugh of the Houston Chronicle wrote that "It was meant to resemble a lantern, but at night the lit open space looks more like a hovering spaceship."[6]
Gallery
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Entrance to CenterPoint Energy Tower -
Damage to windows from Hurricane Ike in 2008 -
Damage to windows from the 2024 Houston derecho
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Contact Information." CenterPoint Energy. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
- ^ "CenterPoint Energy Tower Archived 2012-07-05 at the Wayback Machine." Berger Iron Works. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
- ^ "0000950129-97-001088.txt : 19970320" (Archive). Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved on April 14, 2014. "Houston Industries Incorporated and Houston Lighting & Power Company Houston Industries Plaza 1111 Louisiana, 47th Floor Houston, TX 77002-5231"
- ^ "Houston Industries takes new name." Houston Business Journal. February 2, 1999. Retrieved on April 14, 2014.
- ^ Bivins, Ralph. "SURVIVAL OF THE NEWEST / OCCUPANCY DOWNTOWN TUMBLING, BUT THREE TOWERS DEFY TREND." Houston Chronicle. Sunday July 27, 2003. Business 1. Retrieved on November 11, 2009.
- ^ Pugh, Clifford. "Unique tops give skyscrapers an aesthetic boost." Houston Chronicle. June 6, 2005. Retrieved on April 14, 2014. "Sometimes, a building's owner remakes a top to attract more attention. Ten years ago, owners of the Houston Industries building added a five-story canopy resting on four pillars to the top of the aging 47-story skyscraper. The addition created a dramatic circle that floats atop the building. It was meant to resemble a lantern, but at night the lit open space looks more like a hovering spaceship."