Proposed Independent Art Collaborative Building in Midtown Houston: Pics!

by Bill Davenport April 12, 2012

Drawings of Houston’s proposed Independent Arts Collaborative building, by Lake/Flato/Studio Red architects are online.

God, the air conditioning bills!

So much space, so little building!

When will the glass houses go away?

Really. We, as a society, have got to start say NO to this type of  wasteful, self-aggrandizing, boondoggle.

Think of it: In the drawings, do you see one gallery, theater, bookshop, cafe, video lounge? The spaces where people experience art are the last thing on the architects’ minds. It’s all about looking impressive: full of light and air and busy people wandering the gigantic, empty atrium looking for some art.

 

6 comments

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6 comments

chris cascio April 12, 2012 - 10:37

it’s really hard to hang art on windows.

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Robert Boyd April 12, 2012 - 10:52

That’s exactly what I thought when I first saw the drawings. For it to be a functioning art building, they would need to essentially put a second building inside the outer glass building. I think anyone who has ever hung an art show knows that windows=trouble. So when you design a building that is basically all windows, you are really thumbing your nose at the future curators who actually have to install art shows in the space.

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Kelly Klaasmeyer April 12, 2012 - 12:32

No shit. So, in this purpose-built space, the only place you can show art is an office building lobby???? Look, architects, if you want to completely ignore function, give up architecture and become a sculptor. You are in an applied art, if that cramps your style to much, do something else.

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My name April 12, 2012 - 16:17

Reminds me of ALH. When they tore down the bungalows (a style rooted in social responsibility) for parking and ‘built’ the new space years ago, they put all of the studios and gallery space on the South side. Derp. But you can have a nice latte in North light. Fucking clueless.

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Gary Crosland April 14, 2012 - 04:37

1. All that glass! Where are you going to hang the paintings?
2. Did they take climate into consideration? This is Texas—not Northern Europe—think of the A/C bills.
3. Eliminate most of the glass and put in a clerestory to let in natural light.

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Brantley Hightower April 16, 2012 - 11:00

These are all really good concerns that are being raised and let me assure you that the design team (of whom I am a member) is working to address them. It is worth noting that the renderings you are seeing were very early conceptual sketches and the design has developed considerably in the four months since they were made. The renderings focus on the primary public spaces though much of the work that has been done since centers on the performance and gallery spaces. We have been working closely with our engineers, our theater consultants and user groups to develop a design that meets the needs of both the arts groups that will use it and the community in which it will be located. We share your concern about issues of sustainability both in terms of ecological stewardship and the fact that this building needs to be inexpensive to maintain.

For what it’s worth, there is actually very little glass on the facade of the building though some of the comments imply that the opposite is true. What you are seeing are perforated metal screens that are designed to allow natural daylight and breezes to enter the breezeway lobby. Of course, the idea of an open air lobby in Houston might at first seem like an odd move, but we are increasingly confident the engineering of this will work climacticly and make a kind community gathering space unlike in other in midtown or, for that matter, Houston.

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