The tower is among Houston's most visible buildings as the 4th-tallest in Texas, and the 44th-tallest in the United States. Construction began in August 1981, and the building was opened in 1983. The building was designed by New York-based John Burgee Architects with Philip Johnson in association with Houston-based Morris-Aubry Architects (now known as Morris Architects). The Williams Tower (originally named the Transco Tower) is a 64-story, 1.4 million square feet (130,000 m 2) class A postmodern office tower located in the Uptown District of Houston, Texas. John Burgee Architects with Philip Johnson and Morris-Aubry ArchitectsĪward for Architectural Excellence ( AISC) Svend Fruit, the renovation architect for the Strait Lane house, explains that this was one of Philip Johnson’s most important homes, as it reflects the transition from his work in the 1950s drawing from Mies van der Rohe and his work in the 1960s, exploring historical modernism.29☄4′14″N 95☂7′41″W / 29.73722°N 95.46139°W / 29.73722 -95.46139Īugust, 1981 42 years ago ( August, 1981) From a distance the home can look commercial and tedious but in near proximity Philip Johnson's resolution of the difficulty of turning a corner with repeating arches is stunningly beautiful. The triumph of creating slender concave arches that gracefully turn a corner is overshadowed by the 1960s monument quality of this home that reflects wealth and architectural indulgence. And even his decorative facades of the Strait Lane house became neutral from the obsessive repetition of arches that wrap the home. He often did neutral uneventful facades like the windowless museum at the Amon Carter. While Walter Gropius offered an expression of culture, Johnson was a decorative and stylistic modernist. He liked the appearance of modernism more than the intent of modernism. He experimented with styles and forms, some formal, some whimsical, and some reflective of current culture. He has collaborated with Mies van der Rohe on the Seagram's Building in New York, and he designed the famous and delightful Glass House. He has designed the Cathedral of Hope, also in Dallas.Īrchitect Frank Welch, who is also the author of the best book written on Philip Johnson, mentioned in conversation, "Philip Johnson was a modernist stylistically, not ethically." Philip Johnson has easily moved from architectural movement to architectural movement. Later, in Dallas, he designed the Kennedy Memorial in 1970 Thanksgiving Square in 1977 the Marshall Field's facades in Houston and Dallas in 1979, and Momentum Place, now Bank One, in 1987. In 1964, he designed the Beck house, known for its facade of slender concave arches wrapping around the home. He first designed the de Menil House in Houston in 1950. Philip Johnson has designed monumental buildings around the world, but Texas, and specifically Dallas, hold a special place for him. Thoughts on the Contributions of Architect Philip Johnson
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