LANDMARKS - Civic and Cultural Landmarks

Only a few of the old civic and cultural buildings exist today.

Julia Ideson Library Building

The Julia Ideson Library Building, named for the long-time Houston librarian, was erected in 1926 as part of the planned civic center. It is the only building of a proposed complex that was erected. Designed by Cram & Ferguson, the Ideson Building has been constructed in Spanish Renaissance style. The historical room of the building houses collections of Texas history and the Circle M Collection, donated by Salvation Army Major E. T. Milsaps. Adjoining the Ideson Building is the octagonal shaped new Houston Public Library, completed in 1976. The Library contains over three and one half million books and documents. It is linked to the Ideson Building by a pedestrian tunnel.

Houston City Hall

Next to the public library stand Houston City Hall. Completed in 1939, the structure was designed by Joseph Finger and built by the Public Works Administration using white fossiled limestone. The ceiling murals were painted by Daniel MacMorris and depict the themes of industry, law, culture and administration.

 

Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Included in the complex are the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, the old Sam Houston Coliseum (demolished) , the old Music Hall (demolished) and the old Albert Thomas Convention Center (demolished). Jesse Jones Hall, which opened in 1966, stands on the site of the old Houston Auditorium. The Houston Endowment, Inc., a charitable fund set up by Jesse Jones himself, provided the funds for erecting the hall, with a seating capacity of up to 3,000, in memory of Jesse Jones' life of service to the nation and to the city. In the lobby of Jones hall is a sculpture by Richard Lippold. Called Gemeni II, it is an artistic rendition of the spirit of the Space Age made of 2,300 polished aluminum rods held in place by 90,000 feet of gold plated wire, creating an illusion of shimmering rays in space flight. The elegant teakwood paneling of Jones Hall achieves the ultimate in theater-concert hall design.

Wortham Theater Center

The Wortham Theater Center is a performing arts center in Houston, Texas, United States. The Center was designed by Eugene Aubrey of Morris Architects and built entirely with $66 million in private funds. It officially opened on May 9, 1987 with one of the inaugural performances being a modern dance program, Tango Argentino, in the Brown Theater and Robert Wilson and David Byrne's The Knee Plays, presented by the Society for the Performing Arts in the Cullen Theater.

Alley Theatre

Opposite Jones Hall stands the Nina Vance Alley Theatre, built in 1969. It is the home of the repertory theater founded and directed by the late Nina Vance. One of the finest residential professional theatres in the U.S., the Alley features an 800-seat multi-space stage and a 300-seat arena.

 

Miller Outdoor Theater

Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park, recently renovated, is an open-air theater which features professional and amateur productions.

 

Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science, in Hermann Park, contains numerous exhibits, including the Milsaps collection of coins and the Westheimer group of minerals. The Burke Baker Planetarium, opened in 1964, is a unit of the museum.

Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts, designed by William Ward Watkin, was completed in 1924 and features a wide range of exhibits including the Beck collection of French impressionists; Venetto's Portrait of a Man; Tintoretto's baroque exercise, Tancred Baptising Clorinda, painted around 1852; and Umlauf's The Fishers and The Pieta.

 

Bayou Bend

Bayou Bend, the home of the Hogg family at 2940 Lazy Lane, was donated by Miss Ima Hogg to the Museum of Fine Arts in 1966. It houses Miss Hogg's collection of seventeenth to nineteenth century decorative arts and period rooms.

Rothko Chapel

Named for the late painter Mark Rothko, the Rothko Chapel is a small octagonal building commissioned by the de Menil family as an ecumenical chapel. Fourteen huge abstract canvasses by Rothko hang in the chapel, illuminated by a single skylight. The resulting effect is subdued and mysterious. Outside the chapel stands Barnett Newman's sculpture, the Broken Obelisk, also commissioned by the de Menils.

Other theaters 0utside the Downtown

River Oaks Theatre

The River Oaks Theatre was built in 1939. It is an example of late-1930s Art Deco design. It was the last of the deluxe neighborhood movie theaters built by Interstate Theatre Corporation. Since 1976, the theater has been operated by Landmark Theatres and generally shows foreign language and independent films, as well as other "art-house" movies. In 1986, Landmark split the spacious balcony in two, turning the theater into a three-screen facility. The theater is a part of the River Oaks Shopping Center, located on the eastern edge of the prestigious River Oaks subdivision. The property and River Oaks Theatre have been well maintained and they still shine today.

Tower Theater

The Tower Theater opened originally in 1936 and was converted to a live theater in 1979. It opened its doors with the stage performance of the Texas based play The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which achieved national acclaim on Broadway.

 

Lost Cultural and Civic Landmarks

Albert Thomas Convention and Exhibition Center (Demolished)

Named for the long-time Houston Congressman, the Albert Thomas Convention and Exhibition Center had 127,500 square feet of exhibition space, 40,000 square feet of meeting rooms and parking for 2,000 cars. It served as a complete, flexible meeting place for the nation's business leaders, as well as a magnificent showplace for the products of various industries. It was also the home of the National Space Hall of Fame.

Oscar F. Holcombe Civic Center (Demolished)

Within a short walking distance, in the heart of downtown, was the Oscar F. Holcombe Civic Center, the site of trade shows, sporting events, operas, ballets, conventions and other events. A $40 million complex of four magnificent exhibition buildings, the Civic Center was close to major hotels, theaters, specialty shops, department stores, restaurants, clubs and office buildings.