Downtown Houston: Built by Design

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
Places where we see diversity reflected in both those who attend and the buildings’ own architecture.

CO-CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART – 1111 St. Joseph Parkway
With its brilliant natural light and vaulted, 72-foot-high nave, the Co-Cathedral replaces the older Sacred Heart Catholic Church as the diocesan seat. The Ziegler Cooper limestone and marble space boasts stained glass mosaics from Florence and is laid out in a classic Latin cross plan. Its custom organ is one of only a dozen in the U.S.

GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER – 1001 Avenida de las Americas
The George R. Brown Convention Center originally opened in 1987 as a massive red, white and blue exhibition hall encompassing 1.8-million-square-feet spanning 11 blocks. A recent multimillion-dollar renovation brought about the addition of a new grand entrance that connects the building to the new Avenida Plaza and Discovery Green across the street, five new restaurants, and 14 art pieces – each one designed by a different Houstonian showcasing their unique way of looking at the city.

THE HOBBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS - 800 Bagby
This Robert Stern-designed building is home for both Theatre Under the Stars and Broadway Across America touring productions. Its enormous windows fronting Bagby Street carry across provide stunning city views. A modern entrance and lobby space give way to 2,650-seat Zilkha Hall’s deep blue seating space, complete with a stunning ceiling awash with a dazzling starscape. Smaller, blond-wood Sarofim Hall is intimate, with beautiful acoustics.

MINUTE MAID PARK – 205 Crawford
The ballpark’s history dates to 1911, when Union Station (today the main entrance) served as the largest passenger railway station in the southwest. The station closed in 1974, but its brick design elements and soaring lobby spaces are reflected in the ballpark’s masonry and glass. The locomotive that runs around the track on the left-field wall whenever an Astros player hits a homerun or when the team wins a game pays homage to the park’s railway past.