CenterPoint Energy Plaza

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. It has the headquarters of CenterPoint Energy.[1][2]

CenterPoint Energy Tower
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
Location1111 Louisiana St.
Houston, Texas, United States
Coordinates29.757214°N 95.367962°W / 29.757214; -95.367962
Construction started1973 (1973)
Completed1974 (1974)
Opening1974 (1974)
Height
Roof741 ft (226 m)
Technical details
Floor count47
Floor area1,399,986 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]

  • Entrance to CenterPoint Energy Tower
    Entrance to CenterPoint Energy Tower
  • Damage to windows from Hurricane Ike
    Damage to windows from Hurricane Ike

See also

References
  1. "Contact Information." CenterPoint Energy. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
  2. "CenterPoint Energy Tower." Berger Iron Works. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
  3. "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"
  4. "Houston Industries takes new name." Houston Business Journal. February 2, 1999. Retrieved on April 14, 2014.
  5. 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.
  6. 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."
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