CITE 28 W i A ! E i I 99 f 19 9 1 40

Phoenix Iniuratue Company, 3323 Richmond, Neuhoui I Taylor, orchilecU, 1961.

!,I-UL

THE B U S I N E S S S T R I P

RICHMOND A V E N U E IN T H E 1 9 6 0 S

frecl winclicl vhotoitrapny

I 'i

Fred Wincrull Photography Studio, 1924 Richmond Avenue, Burdelle Keelond, Jr., and Norwood Taylor, architect}. 1953. =£: JtHcrioa Chemical Company, 3336 Richmond Avenue, Heuhaui t Taylor, aiihlleclt, 196S.

R i v e s T a y I o r

ll the 1960s witnessed the led the migration with new buildings on early battleground between their empires. beginning ol .t significant dispersion of Richmond west of Kirby Drive. I lines controlled most oi the property Ur • ' * Icorporate lite from the downtown clus In a recent interview. Mines recalled fronting Richmond from Wakeforest to ter of highrise office buildings to linear that the Richmond projects reflected his buffalo Speedway. I hen Century Devel- suburban strip centers. At the same time, attempt to probe an effective urban unity, opment teapfrogged over I lines and pur small service companies began to give while trying to make a positive contribu- chased the next four blocks west on way to large national or international tion in a city seeking to interpret the Richmond from Buffalo Speedway to corporations. During this period of tran- implications of a suburban commercial Weslayan for Cireeuway Plaza (1969-73). sition, lowrise development alone, major life.1 Ten new buildings along Richmond Villa Sovoye, outride ol Pari), France, te Corbucier, orchitecl, The architectural firm ot Neuhaus iS: 1928-30. arteries attracted companies looking for were either owned by or developed for Taylor worked both sides ol the street. affordable property and a more amenable Gerald D. Hines interests during this For Schnit/er they designed the four- environment for their employees. time. I lis success in creating an appropri- story Jefferson Chemical Company The Fred Winehcll Photography Stu- ate response to the confusing and less (196.S, at 3336 Richmond. I luus's lirst dio at 1924 Richmond Avenue, a small cohesive parterns of development that collaboration with the firm from I 961 project designed in 195? by burdcttc kec- had occurred earlier in the nearby Alaba- lo 1963 resulted in ihree single-floor, land, Jr., and 1 larwood l.iylor, was I loiis- ma corridor influenced the spread ol low- slablike office buildings hovering on slen- ton's first International Style suburban and midrise office buildings, lirsi to der piers above ground-level parking and commercial building. I ike the buildings property along the Southwest Freeway reminiscent, albeit at some distance, ol and later in all directions outside of the that succeeded it farther out Richmond, it l.e Corbusier's Villa Savoye (I928-.K)). inner city. served automobile suburbia and provided I In- Phoenix Insurance Company build- a fresh, modern image. Receptive to these While the Richmond projects were ing (1961) at 3323 Richmond, the I'onti- two transforming ideas, Houston was out milestones of the growing development ac Motors building (196 11 at M i l Rich- ill front of most American dries, ready to expertise ot both I lines interests M]^ mond, and the Oil base. Inc. building invest heavily outside ol downtown. <>er- Schutt/er's Century Development t orpo (1963) at J623 Southwest Freeway ald 1). I lines and Kenneth L Schnit/er ration, the Richmond strip was ,ilso an began a trend that spread throughout CITE Winer 1 9 9 1 29

Ponlioi Molors Building, 3121 Sidimond Avenue, Heuhout I Taylor, onhitrch, 1941,

3100 Rirhmond Avenue. Neuhous & mylar, anhilecli, 1964 3000 Rittimond Avenue, Wilton, Morns (rain t Andenon, arthileds, 1964

— v f t ^

3118 Riitimond Avvnue

Oil Base of Voneiuclo, Int., 3675 Southwell Freeway, i i Taylor, orchilecli, 1963,

tlic city, especially along the developing rentals,"2 Within one year {\iH,4) the urban cohesion. I Ins in [nun Strip with a freeway system. firms of Neuhaus & Taylor and Wilson, suburban ambiance was informally called Century Development began construc- Morns, Crane & Anderson each designed "Office I'ark." Using thematically consis- tion on Richmond at the dawn of the six- a five-story office block on adjacent tent architectural vocabularies, formula- ties is did I lines. Caudill Rowlctt Seotl Mines properties at 1100 Richmond (In- rized parking-to-street-to-biuldmg rela- designed the low, modernist Dow C enter surance Company ot North America tionships, and functional lloor plans, (lie 11960-611 at J636-3660 Richmond for became anchor tenant) and 3000 Rich- Richmond strip buildings present a para- Century. Significantly, CRS planned the mond (Union Petroleum became digm for suburban corporate construction Dow Center around their own headquar- anchor), respectively. that holds its place in both the architec- ters space, acting as their own clients, A third in id rise building, the 2990 tural and in the con even though Schnitzer owned the build- Richmond building, was reported in tinning pattern of development outside ing. In l°66 O n t u r y again commissioned /(•v./'. Architect to "be located on the the center city. • CRS tur the nine-story Richmond build- last unimproved tract on a street with ing next door to the Dow ( enter. approximate!} 12 similar projects — the I.Gerald Hines, interview with author, September, 1997 client, who owns the ma|orit> ol the While I lines Interests started its 2, Texas Architect, Fcbruarj 1969. suburban development on the north side other buildings, had become conscious ol i. Ibid nt Richmond with a relatively small stilt a need for compatible design in enhance building designed by Wilson, Morris, adjacent structures and unity the general 1 I r.ine \ Anderson in 1963, the} foresaw srreer scene." Thus the I'Xifi building that larger companies would ettrer the lor 1 lines by Neuhaus & Taylor was an suburban market and built three much attempt to complete the architectural con- larger midrise buildings each with .20,000- tinuity begun by the adjacent buildings. square-foot floor plates. [ lines correctly The varied speculative office buildings predicted ,i growing need lor "nmsl Hc\i- constructed along the Richmond corridor hle spec office space at competitive in the I s)ftOs resulted in a comfortable