Discovery Green is an public
urban park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...
in
Downtown Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, bounded by La Branch Street to the west, McKinney Street to the north, Avenida de las Americas to the east, and Lamar Street to the south. The park is adjacent to the
George R. Brown Convention Center
The George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB), opened on September 26, 1987, is located on the east side of Downtown Houston, Texas, United States.
The center was named for internationally recognized entrepreneur, engineer, civic leader, philan ...
and Avenida Houston entertainment district. Discovery Green features a lake, bandstands and venues for public performances, two dog runs, a playground, and multiple recreational lawns.
In the early 2000s, a
public–private partnership
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Review, Public Adminis ...
between the City of Houston and a group of local philanthropic organizations, including the
Kinder Foundation, was formed with the goal of constructing a new public green space in Downtown.
This partnership financed the purchase of a series of surface parking lots on the east side of Downtown.
Following the completion of land purchases in 2004, the Discovery Green Conservancy and the City jointly raised $125 million to construct the park.
The design of the park, led by
landscape architecture firm
Hargreaves Associates, began in 2005. Discovery Green's public opening occurred on April 13, 2008; during the first two months of operation, an estimated 250,000 people visited the park.
History
The
City of Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
acquired a portion of the land in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center in 2002. When the rest of the property went up for sale, a group of philanthropists led by Maconda Brown O’Connor of the Brown Foundation, and
Nancy G. Kinder of the
Kinder Foundation approached then-
Mayor Bill White with their idea of turning the space into an urban park. The Mayor agreed and became a strong advocate of a public-private partnership was developed for the $125 million project. Several other philanthropic foundations joined the effort, including the Wortham Foundation and the
Houston Endowment, Inc.
The City of Houston purchased the remainder of the land in 2004 and created the framework for the park’s construction and operations, including the role of the new organization, Discovery Green Conservancy, incorporated in 2004.
When the
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.
Currently, there are sixteen members, 11 elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every four years, w ...
approved the contracts to provide partial funding and support to the park, it also mandated that the “public at large” be engaged in the design and development of the park. With the guidance of
Project for Public Spaces
Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit organization based in New York dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities, in an effort often termed placemaking
Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the pla ...
, the Conservancy mounted the large public meetings and smaller focus groups to solicit public feedback. This feedback became the basis for the park’s programming.
Hargreaves Associates, an internationally renowned landscape architecture firm based in San Francisco, oversaw the design effort. Page
ormerly PageSoutherlandPagedesigned the park's architecture and
Larry Speck
Lawrence (Larry) Speck is the principal of Austin-based architecture and engineering firm, Page, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and holds the W. L. Moody Centennial Professorship in Architecture. He is a past president of the ...
was their lead architect. Lauren Griffith Associates. provided landscape and horticultural design services. Artists Margo Sawyer and Doug Hollis were integral members of the design team and produced three works of art for the park. A large team of local and international engineers and specialists supported the core design team. Elmore Public Relations was contracted for marketing and public relations.
Ever since the opening in 2008, the park has added upon. An estimate of $1 billion worth of buildings, offices, hotels, and housing projects were added to the park's surroundings.
In 2009 the One Park Place opened. A high-end residential tower that houses 346 units. On 2011, the Hess Tower was built, a 29-story office building. On 2016, the Marriott Marquis convention hotel was built north of the park. A hotel that holds over 1,000 rooms.
The park earned
LEED certification in October 2009.
The
Kinder Foundation provided $10 million to help fund the $125 million project.
In 2020, the chain opened a new location within the Katy/Fulshear district.
Design Process
Hargreaves Associates and their team of architects, engineers, and artists took thirteen months to design and finalize the park. Notable challenges would be the dense intersection and the intricate design of implementing the garage with the surface park.
The park is placed in the center of two juxtaposing cross axes.
The linear plaza is lined by a multitude Mexican Sycamore trees and uniquely designed pavement.
Due to the straight nature of the path, it supports farmers markets, art fairs and parades.
Park features
* Anheuser-Busch Stage - a performance stage
* Jones Lawn - a grass lawn for lounging, offering views of the skyline
* The Brown Foundation Promenade - a shaded walkway, lined with 100-year-old live oak trees
* Wortham Foundation Gardens - of flowering trees, plants, fountains and works of art
* Kinder Lake - a lake lined with native wetland plants
* Gateway Fountain - The fountain offers a view of water activity atop a sloping granite surface to the park
* The Natural Gardens - wetland and upland gardens extending the length of the park
* The Landforms - several sculpted grassy knolls with views of downtown Houston
* McNair Foundation Jogging Trail - tree-shaded promenades on which to stroll to the lake and children’s area
* Maconda's Grove - where persons can play bocce on the Carruth Foundation Bocce Courts
* The John P. McGovern Playground, renovated in 2021
* Hagstette Putting Green
* Two dog runs - one for large dogs and another for smaller dogs with seating areas for their owners
* Approximately 630-car underground parking garage.
The Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group, best known as the creators of Cafe Annie, operates two restaurants on site. The Grove serves lunch and dinner in a "signature restaurant" setting, while The Lake House offers casual fare.
On occasions Discovery Green has an ice skating rink.
Public art
*Monument au Fantóme - A piece of artwork by
Jean Dubuffet
Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French painter and sculptor. His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" and eschewed traditional standards of beauty in favor of what he believed to be a ...
donated by
Dan Duncan
Dan L Duncan (January 2, 1933 – March 29, 2010) was an American born in Center, Texas. He was the co-founder, chairman and majority shareholder of Enterprise Products.
Early life and education
Duncan was born in 1933 in rural Shelby County, ...
was moved from
1100 Louisiana
Enterprise Plaza (also known as 1100 Louisiana) is a 55-story, skyscraper at 1100 Louisiana Street in downtown Houston, Texas The headquarters of Enterprise Products is located in the Enterprise Plaza.
Enterprise Plaza was completed in 1980 b ...
in
downtown Houston
Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The ...
in October 2007 after some restoration. The estimated value of this sculpture is $1 million, including restoration. It was created between 1969 and 1971 as part of the Hourloupe series.
File:DuBuffet.jpeg, Monument au Fantóme by DuBuffet
*Synchronicity of Color - Nationally acclaimed artist
Margo Sawyer's installation graces both exits of the
underground garage
''Underground Garage'' is the name shared by two related but different radio outlets, a syndicated show and a satellite radio station, both created and supervised by American musician Steven Van Zandt (best known as a guitarist in Bruce Springs ...
, with accents at The Grove and The Lake House. The 151 panels hold 1,500 aluminum boxes in 65 colors. The paint on these boxes is also used in under water applications for
oil rigs and was gifted by
International Paint
International Paint, abbreviated as International, is a brand of the Marine & Protective Coatings business unit of AkzoNobel.
History
In 1881, the German brothers Max and Albert Holzapfel, along with Charles Petrie, founded the Holzapfel Composit ...
LLC. Some elements are kamelion car paint color and also Dicroic film, a new technology and application.
*Listening Vessels - Sculptor
Doug Hollis’ Listening Vessels, a gift from Maconda Brown O’Connor, sits in the midst of the Urban Gardens, an ideal setting for these serene and graceful pieces. The two parabolas, cut from solid
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and spaced apart, epitomize Hollis’ desire to call attention to events that are taken for granted, such as conversation. Visitors are intended to come across the vessels and gain an understanding of their function as they realize they can hear the words of another person speaking at a normal volume, a great distance away.
*Mist Tree - Hollis also created the Mist Tree, a gift from Fayez Sarofirm, located next to the playground. The Mist Tree is a -high-by-22-foot-wide stainless steel structure that is sited to attract people to the park. Visible from beyond the park’s boundaries, the rain curtain and mist streams generated by the tree will entice children and adults to refresh themselves in its delightful shower.
Image:Misttreediscoverygreen.JPG, Mist Tree
Planned events and uses
Discovery Green offers a variety of programming throughout the year. All events at the park are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Discovery Green presents Houston's performing, literary and visual art in its Art Series. Discovery Green's Entertainment Series offers movies, Extreme Wii competitions, and concerts by musicians that present a variety of Gulf Coast and Central Texas sounds. The Healthy Living in the Park series offers a weekly urban market and exercise classes such as Pilates, Yoga, Parkour and Zumba as well as a Hip2BFit exercise class just for kids. The Families & Children Series offers hands-on workshops and activities suitable for children and their parents.
On weekends, families can visit the park, put their pets in one of two dog runs and watch their kids play on the playground while they discard their newspapers and cans into recycling bins.
The park has additionally hosted major seasonal theme events, including outdoor exploration, kid-friendly entertainment, and charity donations.
Image:Jones_Lawn.JPG, Jones Lawn
Image:The_Brown_Foundation_Promenade.JPG, The Brown Foundation Promenade
Image:Kinder_Lake.JPG, Kinder Lake
Image:The_Lake_House_Waterside_Cafe.JPG, The Lake House Waterside Cafe
Image:Carruth_Foundation_Bocce_Courts.JPG, Carruth Foundation Bocce Courts in Maconda's Grove
Image:Gateway_Fountain.JPG, Gateway Fountain
Image:Kinder_Large_Dog_Run.JPG, Kinder Large Dog Run
Image:DiscoveryGreenHoustonTX.JPG, An entrance, with the George R. Brown convention center in the background
See also
*
Urban parks
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to re ...
Notes
External links
Discovery Green websiteDubuffet WebsiteMargo Sawyer WebsiteHargreaves Associates
{{Houston, Texas
Parks in Houston
Urban public parks
Public art in the United States
2008 establishments in Texas
Downtown Houston