DOMINANT TEXTURES AND FUNCTIONAL PARTS
As a result of Houston’s clustered organization, it is
not surprising that
there are several areas that can be regarded as functional centers for the
city. The most noteworthy of these areas include: Downtown, the Texas Medical
Center, the Museum District, and the Post Oak Galleria, Montrose, Historical
District, the Bayou.
Downtown:
From a distance, Houston’s downtown area seems to be a cluster of perfectly
sculpted and modern skyscrapers. But this civic “center” is one in
name only; banks and corporate headquarters are housed in these steel towers,
and both the public library and city hall can be found in the midst of them,
but residents of the greater Houston area rely on this texture only as a visual
signal. Some distinguishing features of this area are: a lack of public space,
underground walkways which link some of the different skyscrapers, and a feeling
of placelessness.
Texas Medical Center
This district of Houston is a 21 million square foot agglomeration of medical
facilities and residential structures. The Center is the result of a
combined effort of 42 institutions aiming to improve accessibility to medical
services and advances in medical research. The Center is the city’s largest
employer and it draws patients and employees alike from all over the nation.
The residential high-rises for employees give the area a distinct feeling of
a
city within a city. Because of the wealth of job opportunities provided here
and the layout of the city's freeway system, the medical district has displaced
the downtown for many of the wealthy in Houston. It lies south of the commercial/industrial
district and many of the poorer neighborhoods, but near the cultural centers
such as the museum district.
Museum District
The Museum District includes 11 museums and galleries. Also in the museum district
are cultural institutions such as the Zoo, the Holocaust Museum, and the Contemporary
Arts Museum. The texture of the museums ranges drastically. Some are modern
art deco, while the Holocaust Museum has a cylindrical edifice and the Contemporary
Arts Museum is a silver aluminum parallelogram -- two more historic 19th century
styles. The texture of this area is also enhanced by several high-rise condominiums
and apartments like the Warwick Towers and the Museum Tower. This cultural civic
center creates a sense of community that is felt by both its residents and its
visitors.
(Museum Tower), (Warwick Towers, an apartment complex)
The business district is home to most of the leading oil producers and petrochemical refineries. It also houses 18 of the leading fortune 500 companies. Although many oil companies were originally only running subsidiaries out of Houston,by now most have now moved their central hub to Houston's business district.
Post Oak Galleria
Designed in the 1970s and linked to downtown Houston by the Loop 610, this shopping
center functions as an urban center because of its unique structure and combination
of retail and commercial space. The architectural texture of the mall is reminiscent
of Frank Lloyd Wright designs with its long, low slung, glass roofed aisles.
The urban fabric of the area has been created by the integration of “urban”
ingredients like hotels, bookstores, luxury stores, and public space.
Montrose
The Montrose neighborhood, which is directly west of downtown, is an eclectic
and diverse area where culture and consumerism combine. The area has a wide
array of architectural styles ranging from renovated mansions, bungalows with
wrap-around porches, and a few high-rise apartment complexes. The texture of
the area has been formed by the mix of restaurants, cafes, galleries, tattoo
parlors, boutiques, junk shops, and a flea market. This area is also unique
because it is the product of careful planning: designed to provide the city
with a residential addition in 1910, the area is spread across four main boulevards.
