Texaco Heritage Plaza
Houston, USA

HEIGHT: 232m/762 feet
FLOORS: 53 floors
COMPLETION: 1987
ARCHITECT: M. Nasr & Partners

Though you would think that Texaco's headquarters would be in Texas, but it isn't. The HQ is in New York. But this 52-story building makes quite an impression for the company in Houston. In many photographs and videotapes, the shape of an eagle is outlined in white neon at the top of the building. But it hasn't been fully lit up since 1998. There have been one or two segments illuminated, but never the whole thing. The odd stepped formation at the top of the building was actually inspired by the architect's trip to the jungles of Mexico. A similar, less elaborate, form exists at the bottom of the building. But this is not so much to complement the top, as to provide structural reinforcement since there is a 16-stories parking garage resting above the lobby. This building best illustrates one of the oddities of the city of Houston: There are no zoning laws. It is not uncommon for a one or two-story house to be located next door or across the street from a 60-story skyscraper. In fact, this is becoming more and more common as real estate values within the Interstate 610 loop increase. Unfortunately, because of the lack of zoning laws there is nothing preventing a company that handles toxic waste from opening up in a residential neighborhood, and there have been several incidents of toxic waste spilling onto residential streets, sewers, and ditches where children play.

http://www.photohome.com/pictures/texas-pictures/houston/texaco-heritage-plaza-1a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/houston15.jpg

http://www.fujitecamerica.com/images/texacoheritageplaza_photo01.jpg

http://www.fujitecamerica.com/images/texacoheritageplaza_photo02.jpg

http://www.fujitecamerica.com/images/texacoheritageplaza_photo03.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/Images/Buildings/TexacoHeritagePlaza-003.jpg

Sorry, but I think this building is quite ugly. I'm sure they built it with good intentions, but the concrete base and peak really strike me as proportioned wrong and unnecessary. This building's rooftop is no place for a ziggaraut.

Still, it isn't exactly ugly. The front is pretty nice at some angles, and it's a decent addition to Houston's skyline...

5.5 (I voted 6, but I changed my mind a bit).

I think it's ok. I like the glass on it.

7.5/10

7/10

It certainly carries off the slab-look very well, and its nice and simple. But something is not quite right with it..

Is this building finished or what ? Weird tower :(

I like all the glass building in Houston
Include this one
9/10

5/10

I've never liked this tower, it seems that the top was just thrown in there to prevent it from being a bland box. It creative, I'll give them that.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Daniel8ty8 </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Sorry, but I think this building is quite ugly. I'm sure they built it with good intentions, but the concrete base and peak really strike me as proportioned wrong and unnecessary. This building's rooftop is no place for a ziggaraut.

Still, it isn't exactly ugly. The front is pretty nice at some angles, and it's a decent addition to Houston's skyline...

5.5 (I voted 6, but I changed my mind a bit).</td></tr>
</table>

^ What he Daniel8ty8 said ^ but i will go with a 7 due to relatively nice glass and stonework, and for being well-intentioned. :)

Looks cool from the inside, but that isn't the case when I take look to the outside.

6/10

7/10, bizzarre top, but still ok.

7/10 - I like the nice, shiney glass curtain wall, and the contrast between that and the top.

But it's simply too chunky, even though the glass makes it look a little bit lighter...And it might have helped the parts of the tower flow together better if they'd used the same blue glass in the windows in the top section (sheesh, I want to say "spire" because "top section" sounds so clunky, but it isn't really a spire....

gee, I really don't like this one (cheap blue glas) - 4/10

i like the blue glass, but the top part is ugly. 6.5

Too fucking wide.The top looks o.k.
6.5/10

The top was inspired by Mayan temples. The facade does a nice job of disguising the box.

The top is hideous, the glass could look a little better, but it has some nice height. I have mixef feelings about what I should rate it. I'll get back with ya'll on that!

Garish tower. Typical 80's style....

7/10!

8.5 I quite like this garish tower... nice sleek glass look... with some subtle geometry... and that unique top... inspired by Mayan temples

7.5/10

The top dosent really fit the rest of the building i tink.. Looks out of place espeiclaly if the glass looks blue though the blaskishness provides good contract to the shiny blue glass! :)

7.5/10

so, it's either people like the top or hate it. i'm on the gray area.

as for the whole scraper, it looks rubbish in some pics but great in some. 8/10

A box with glass cladding an a Egyptian-like temple on top?? It could have been better trying to excel in one of those. 7/10.

10, awesome!

5/10

Very bulky, but I like the crisp clean lines of the glass and the stone top. 7/10

6/10

7.5/10 :)
I like it, but it is a bit plain.

Originally posted by Labrador

7.5/10 :)
I like it, but it is a bit plain.
i bit plain? i think its one of the most contrasting skyscrapers i have ever seen!

Bulky, but nice glass and top. 7.5/10

8

Nice!

To bad the top doesn't light up.

The top dosent fit the building at day, it looks better at nigth. 7/10

weak neoclassicizm 4/10

average..
6/10

facade: good
form: ok
specials: now i don't like that top so much
points: 8

9/10 I like the "house" as we called it" on the top

not that great 6.5/10

8/10


Nice one.

:puke:

2/10

7/10

A beautiful building, and the topp is wounderful, 9.5/10

the top part looks cool. the interior is great too!!

8/10

I start to vomit when i see this idiot tower. 1/10

http://www.houstonmetropolis.com/images/rsheritage1.jpg

7/10

Living in Houston....with so many "uninspired" structures, I find that more and more I think of Heritage Plaza as my favorite building. Having traveled extensively in Mexico and Central America the "Mayan Temple" sections at top and bottom are very appealing, as is the interior.

Still, I only gave it an 8.5....mostly because I'm not blind to the fact that there are other finer designs in other cities as well and many that are more deserving of higher scores.

Very unique. I love it. 9.5

the top so does not fit the main building. the transition's just too sudden. looks more like a temple rising out of the sea. my least favorite houston skyscraper.

5.5

It looks like the JP Morgan tower in Dallas. I swear all Texas buildings look like they were built at the same time and designed by the same guy. 7/10

I love it. It might not be for everyone, but I love it. It's purely Houston.
10/10

It's good but not fantastic. 6.5/10

EEEEEwwww TACKY TACKY TACKY. 4/10

It looks like the JP Morgan tower in Dallas. I swear all Texas buildings look like they were built at the same time and designed by the same guy. 7/10

If it werent for the 80s and Texas' aspirations to have 'everything bigger' we wouldnt be blessed with identicle glass tack fests.

7/10. What I love about Texaco Heritage Plaza is the glass and the eagle crown perching on top. It loses points for the crown being so unlit, the Texaco logo takes up too much space in front (as seen in another thread pic) and looking so flat.

Why the hell can't Texaco have HQs here and not in NYC? Now I know why it was simply called Heritage Plaza.

6.5

The top seems a bit tacky and overdone. The rest is okay.

6/10 - I don't like it..

Too massive and the postmodern top doesn't fit in with the glass façade. 5

ugly, 5.5

7/10

looks like hell 5

The top spoiled it, 6/10

8/10

Okay, but the crown looks like a cartoon frog with a mustache. I give it a 7/10.

OMG what's wrong with them ???
This has to be one of the ugliest crowns I've ever seen in my life !!!!
It looks like... Huh... There's no word, a 4 years old child could have done better. Even nothing at all would have been better. Much better.
The fact that it's on top of such a big building makes it even worse.
Forgetting the crown (arrggg, it's so awful, how to possibly forget it ?), the building has nothing special. Overall it ranks very high in my worst-buildings-ever list.
0.5

7/10
The top doesnt fit the building to well, Dont like it. Rest of the building isnt bad though

7/10

Strange top,it doesn't fit well with the bland shape of the building.

7.5/10 The top ruins it. Otherwise decent.

5.

7.5/10.

It looks like the top is not finished. I don't like it. 4/10.

8/10

9/10

Fat but shiny, 7.5/10

7.5/10

I don't like the top, the rest of the building is OK, but quite boring. 6,5/10

7/10

7.5/10

6,5/10

I love glass buildings but not this one. 8/10

7/10

Too wide & top is ugly. 6.5/10

8/10

EDIT

7/10

average looking.

6.5...

7/10

I never noticed the ziggerat up top. kind of out of place but, i dont kno maybe it works. The glass should be darker and more reflective. not bad. not great. 6.5/10

4,5/10

8/10

4/10

6,5/10

7/10

really good tower, 8.5/10

4.5/10

8/10

6/10

7/10

7.5/10

5.5/10

Not my cup of tea 5/10

8. a bit boring and massive.

6.5 top part is just fugly

7/10

7.5/10

7.5/10

I do not like this one. A 6 out of 10.

7/10

8/10 love this building it loooks like a glass curtin

9/10 :cheers:

7/10

7/10

5/10

Like the glass and the size but wtf. were they thinking of when they put that crown on it 6/10

too massive 6.5/10

7...

6.5

6/10

6/10

7/10

5/10

This is beautiful. Not too tall, not too short, but with very nice, reflective glass. Looks great in Houston- 9/10.

7/10

4/10

7/10

wide,the top looks o.k.

the top doesn't fit in at all
5/10

6 :)

8.5/10

RafflesCity needs to rename this thrad "Heritage Plaza" because Texaco merged with Chevron.

6/10

Giant!!

8.5/10

5/10

Beautiful glass tower block with the foul ending. Then again this roof. Sometimes simple answers are best.

8/10

7/10

7/10:)

7.5/10

terrible looking top part

6,5/10

6/10

7/10

i think a lot of people are thrown off by the solid top being disconnected from the bottom and having little relation to the shaft. i give it a 7.5 for effort.

the building is okay, but the company is rank

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/3193462882_577673d3dd_o.jpg

--->
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3193463086_af8c26a8ae_o.jpg
Photolitherland SSP.

The top is ok but the shape of the building is not.

I gave it a 7.5....out of 10.

7/10

I like a lot:yes: 9/10

8/10

7/10

dont like the top


7/10

7.5/10

Very nice top !

7.5/10

9.5/10

7/10

10/10

8. Good building. Regards.

8/10

I voted 7.5/10 building facade is nice, all glass and steel, what I don't like is the one on top.

9/10
Looks realy nice, but a lil bit too massive.

8/10

Love the glass, hate the concrete.

7/10

7.5

9/10

9.0/10
9.5 without the top!:)

7/10

Incredible cladding, but weird shape. 6/10

9/10

Love the building, but always thought it looked like half tombstone half Myan Temple.

They need to illuminate that white neon eagle shape at the top once again. During the holidays they string cheap looking warm white Christmas lights on the shoulders of the building.

the top is not good for a skyscraper...
7.5

8/10

8/10

8/10...like the top part :)

8/10, like it!

10/10

8,5/10

6/10

7/10

ugly as... 3.5/10

7/10

6 One of a very few modern glass towers that doesn't have appeal.

7/10

ugly 5

9/10

Really nice tower, a friend of mine went to Houston a while ago and liked it as much as I did.

I don't really find it that interesting. 5/10

10/10

7/10

9.5/10 :)

9/10