The TC Energy Center is a
highrise
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdictio ...
that represents one of the first significant examples of
postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the international style advocated by Philip Johnson and Henry- ...
construction 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 in Texas, Interstate 10, Interstate 45, ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. The building has been formerly known as the
RepublicBank Center, the
NCNB Center, the
NationsBank Center, and the
Bank of America Center. The building was completed in October 1983 and designed by award-winning architect
Johnson/Burgee Architects, and is reminiscent of the Dutch Gothic architecture of
canal houses in The Netherlands.
It has three segmented tower setbacks, each with "a steeply pitched gabled roofline that is topped off with spires".
The tower was developed by
Hines Interests
Hines Interests Limited Partnership is a privately held company that invests in and develops real estate.
The company has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,450 properties, comprising over 485 million square feet. The company currently manage ...
and is owned by a joint venture of M-M Properties and an affiliate of the General Electric Pension Trust.
The banking center is housed in a separate building, due to construction problems, and has a three-story lobby. There are 32 passenger elevators each finished with wood panels that include Birdseye Maple, Macassar Ebony, Italian Willow, Tamo, and Kevazingo. The building contains an art gallery in the lobby and plans to host curated exhibitions.
The building was renamed for
TC Energy
TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Corporation) is a major North American energy company, based in the TC Energy Tower building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that develops and operates energy infrastructure in Canada, the United States, ...
in 2019, which serves as the company's US headquarters, and is the largest tenant in the building.
Background
At 56 stories the TC Energy Center is the
55th tallest building in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and is the
seventh tallest building in Texas.
The northeast corner of the structure houses a building within a building. On the site is the main
Western Union
The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company chang ...
building and when relocation of the telegraph cables proved unfeasible, a new structure was built over the site and the existing structure was incorporated into the new building intact. The stone used for the exterior is red Swedish granite, giving the building a "dark pink" appearance.
Accident
On June 9, 2001, the building was the site of an accident that took place during
Tropical Storm Allison
Tropical Storm Allison was a tropical storm that devastated southeast Texas in June of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season. An arguable example of the " brown ocean effect", Allison lasted unusually long for a June storm, remaining tropical or s ...
. Building security warned individuals that the below-grade parking levels were in danger of flooding and instructed persons working late in the building to move vehicles to upper levels of the garage. Kristie Tautenhahn, an employee of the law firm
Mayer, Brown & Platt
Mayer Brown is a global white-shoe law firm, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has offices in 27 cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with its largest offices being in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New ...
, went to move her vehicle parked on sub-level 3 at 10:30
UTC (05:30
CDT) which by that time was completely submerged. She drowned in an elevator car when it filled with water as it descended to the lower floor of the garage.
Tenants
*
Mayer Brown
Mayer Brown is a global white-shoe law firm, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has offices in 27 cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with its largest offices being in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New Y ...
has its Houston office in Suite 3400.
[Contact Information]
." Mayer Brown
Mayer Brown is a global white-shoe law firm, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has offices in 27 cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with its largest offices being in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New Y ...
. Retrieved on December 17, 2009.
*
TC Energy
TC Energy Corporation (formerly TransCanada Corporation) is a major North American energy company, based in the TC Energy Tower building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that develops and operates energy infrastructure in Canada, the United States, ...
has its US Head Office in the building.
Gallery
Image:BOAC bottom.jpg
Image:Building4 houston.jpg
See also
*
Tallest buildings in Texas
This list of tallest buildings in Texas ranks skyscrapers in the U.S. state of Texas by height. The tallest structure in the state, excluding radio towers, is the JP Morgan Chase Tower, in Houston, which contains 75 floors and is tall. The sec ...
*
List of tallest buildings in the United States
The world's first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885. Since then, the United States has been home to some of the world's tallest skyscrapers. New York City, specifically the borough of Manhattan, notably has the tallest skyline in the cou ...
References
External links
*Official Site
TC Energy Centerat Glass Steel and Stone
{{Houston skyscrapers
Office buildings completed in 1983
Skyscraper office buildings in Houston
Philip Johnson buildings
John Burgee buildings
Bank buildings in Texas
Postmodern architecture in Texas