A NEW ERA: THE TEXAS DEAN I

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Lars Lerup, professor of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, succeeds Alan Hal four, who

left Rice i" spring 1992. lerup is a native of Sweden, where he received a civil engi-neering degree in I960 from I lelsingborg Higher Technical College. Thereafter he received a bachelor of architecture from Hcrkclc) in lVf>K and a master's degree in urban design from Harvard University in 1970. From 1970 to 1977 he was an assistant professor .11 Berkeley, where he has been a lull professor since 1987. In I 991 Lerup took a leave of absence to head the Swiss branch of the Southern California Institute of Architecture at Los Angeles, in Lugano. I fe will remain there until taking over at Rice this summer.

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Lawrence W. Speck has been teaching at the University of Texas at Austin since 1975, when he was appointed

assistant professor. In 1990 he became associate dean, and in 1992 he became dean. Speck's schooling includes a bache-lor of science in both management and art and design in 1971 and a master of architecture in 1972, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before reaching at UT Austin he was an instructor in design theory and criticism

Three new deans have

stepped forward to direct

three schools of architecture to

Texas. Lars Lerup will be dean

at Rice University starting in

July 1993, Lawrence W. Speck

became dean at the University

of Texas at Austin in fall 1992,

and Robert H. Timmc became

dean at the University of

Houston in fall 1992.

at MIT from 1971 to 1975. Speck has been a principal ol his own practice in Austin since 1975. Among a myriad of honors and awards, Speck was named by Architectural Digest in its 199) listing of the 10(1 foremost architects in the world.

n Robert H. Timme has been ateaching at the University of I iouston since 1972. He is a partner in the internationally

known, Houston-based firm Taft Architects. Timme's education includes a bachelor of arts in 1969, a bachelor of architecture in 1971, and a master of architecture in 1979, alt from Rice University, Timme has taught courses and studios at Clemson, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania. Currently he also directs the Ul\ Centre d'Etudes d'Architecture et dllrbanisme in Saintes, France.

OlafL. Recktenwaid

LA VILLA D E I A S FLDRES

Last year the city of Houston decided to put the Milby bus barn sire back on the tax rolls by providing low-

income housing on the property. Fifty-nine 1,200-square-foot single-family houses were planned for an I I-acre site with cul-de-sac streets {in essence, a mini suburban subdivision). There was to be one automo-bile entrance with a guard house, and a six-foot-high fence surrounding the site.

When costs became an issue, the American Institute of Architects/1 Iouston Chapter's housing subcommittee, the University "I Houston's Community Design Resource Center, and the city of 1 Iouston sponsored a charrette to explore the possibilities of reducing the size and cost of the houses. The steering committee for the charrette also proposed several site plans that increased density by including duplex units, connected the new houses to the existing fabric by having them face all four of the surrounding streets, and provided more pedestrian access to the sire. While these changes reflected the sentiments ol neighborhhood residents, they did not reflect current police department urban planning policy.

This experiment could have demonstrated how to draw people back into the city, increase density, and respond to the eco-nomic forces that will determine how I louston's inner city is revitalized. Instead the city government has pulled a standard subdivision development package out ot its back pocket and expected to satisfy the very different architectural, planning, and financial requirements of designing and building new projects on old land. At some point the city and its citizens will have to face the fact that increased density is the only way the redevelopment of the inner city can be funded.

Ernesto Luis Mahionado

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Original f i le plan by city ol Houslon. All lots except lor the nine along North Drennan late inward. A fence, funded by the one-pertenl-lor-art tox component ol the project, was proposed to surround the site. Three "reserves" are left as common areas. The one that abuts Lovejoy provides pedestrian access to the site.

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Site plan proposed by charrette participants and community. All laur streets have front lawns, continuing the existing pattern of development in the neighbor-hood. The four large lots, 59 to 62, have duplex units. One large reserve was to serve as a pork. The one-percent-for-arl component was lo fund o gaiebo in the park. Pedestrian access ol two points was also included.

Final site plan by city of Houston. This plan has 11 lots that face Drennan. The inlet street has been moved lo align with Engelke Street. The three "reserves" are now used for pedestrian access, one each on North Milby, Lovejoy, and Bering. The fence remains as a security feature ol the project.

ADMINISTRATION AND JUNIOR SCHOOL BUILDING, MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON

m^^J a Museum ol Fine Arts Administration ond Junior School Building, cut-away model.

[ is assisted on the museum job by his \ l ong t ime associate, John Rowley.

Kendal l / I leaton Associates are produc-t ion archi tects; Property Development Services is project manager ; C B M Engineers are structural engineers; Walter I'. Moore C\ Associates are

I Cross section.

O n 19 A p r i l the M u s e u m o f Tine Ar ts , H o u s t o n , b roke g r o u n d lo r cons t ruc t ion o f a 5ft,K4.1-squarc-foot bu i l d ing to be shared by the admin is t ra t ive offices of the museum and the Jun io r School o f the museum's ( i lassel l School o f A r t . The i . -shaped, r w o - and three-story bu i l d ing w i l l occupy a fu l l b lock on Mon t rose bou leva rd , across f r o m the Classed School of A r t and t w o blocks f r o m the museum's exh ib i t i on bu i ld ing .

The M u s e u m Admin i s t r a t i on and |un io r School bu i l d i ng has been designed by Car los Jimenez Arch i tec tu ra l Design Studio. Jimenez is one of I fouston 's most in ternat iona l l y publ ic ized young design-ers. In add i t i on t o the museum project , he has designed the I lous ton Fine Ar t Press b u i l d i n g and the I.ynn Cloode Gal lery and is presently at w o r k on the new ar t depar tment bu i l d ing at W i l l i a ms College in W i l l i a m s t o w n , Massachusetts. Jimenez

geotechnical engineers; and I. A . N a m a n 6c Associates are mechanical engineers. M i n e r Deder ick Compan ies is the general cont rac tor . Projected comp le t i on date fo r the bu i l d ing is summer 1994.

Jimenez has carefu l ly shaped the bu i l d i ng to respond to its site. The three-story w i n g faces Mon t rose . It is set back to preserve the tine ot l ive oaks p lanted a long the street in the early 1920s. The j un io r school is s i tuated in the rear, t w o -story w i n g a long Harriett Street, where studios w i l l receive no r th l ight . Jimenez has prov ided separate entrances to the t w o wings . A landscaped cou r t is set in to the c rook of the I., bu f fe r ing the bu i l d ing f r o m a rear pa rk ing lot . The bu i ld ing is to be laced w i t h l imestone and metal panels. The shal low vaul ted r o o l of the three-story w i n g w i l l also be surfaced w i t h meta l .

Stephen Fox

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RDA F A L L A R C H I T E C T U R A L E V E N T S For more information. all the Rue Design Alliance, (711) 524-6297.

A Texas Dean Quartet N September 199.1. A p.m. to A' p.m.. Cohen House. Rice University. Tickets $10: students S !. I'aul reservations required. Foul architecture deans, I ars I c r u p , Lawrence W, Speck, Robert I I. T immc, and Simon Wilt / . , w i l l discuss their approach to the discipline o l architecture at their respective schools: Rice University, the University of Texas at Aust in, the University of Houston, and Prairie View A is; M University.

N e w Arch i tec ture of the Southern Region Five architects f rom the South and Southeast w i l l speak about their work this fal l . This work varies f rom practice to practice and region to region, yet there are clearly aspects o l cl imate, history, and place in the southern United Slates that affect the way these architects think about and address bui ld ing design. Al l lectures held in the b rown Aud i to r ium, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, at 8 p.m.

29 September Dav id Lake and T e d E la io , principals, Lake/Flato Architects, Inc., San An ton io , Texas.

6 Oc tober Scot! M e r r i l l , pr incipal , Scott Me r r i l l , Architect, Vero beach , Florida.

11 Oc tobe r M e r r i l l F l am , pr incipal , Scogm Flam bray Architects, At lanta, Georgia,

20 Oc tobe r Samuel Mockbee , pr incipal , Mockhcc-Cnkcr Architects, Canton, Mississippi, and professor o l architecture. Auburn University.

27 Oc tobe r Gary M . C u n n i n g h a m , pr incipal , Cunningham Architects, Dal las, Texas.

T h e Bal l o f Energy: A Salute to the Energy Indust ry 12 November 199.'}, 7s30 p.m. to midnight . Doubletree Post Oak Hote l . The seventh annual RDA gala fundraiser includes dinner, dancing, and a silent auct ion. The 1991 RDA Award for Design Excellence wi l l he presented to Constantinc Nicandros, president and CEO of Conoco.

Show Us Your Best The RDA invites all I louston architects and designers to present their best work at an unjuried exhibi t ion that wi l l demonstrate the excellence in architecture and design that this city has to otter. J 100 entry fee. An exhib i t ion catalogue wi l l be published. For entry requirements and further in fo rmat ion, please call the RDA.

Cy Iwombly Gallery (kit} and existing Menil Collection museum.

CREATIVE FLOORING R E S O U R C E S

Rugs from around the World

NEEDLEPOINTS KILIMS

COTTON DHURRIES WOOL WILTONS

The Menil Collection will begin construction this summer ol a freestanding gallery la house a permanent installa-tion ol paintings, sculptures, and drawings by the American artist Cy Twombly. The one-story, 9,000-squore-fool building is square in plan and divided into eight rooms occording to a 3x3 grid devised in consulta-tion with the artist by the architect Renio Piano. The walls will be constructed of precast concrete blocks and the rooms lighted from above by a lightweight, zenithal gl on-rool system that will moke use of adjustable louvers and fabric scrims to provide soft, even illumina-tion the year round.

The Twombly Gallery is a joint project ol the Menil Collection and the Dia Center for the Arts, New York, and will incorporate materials from the holdings ol both institutions as well as numerous works contributed by the artist himself. The gallery will open in early 199S. Piano is also the architect ol the museum ol the Menil Collection (1981-87), located just across Branard Street from the site of the new gallery. Richard Filigerald t, Associates are the associate architects and Ove Arup & Partners the principal structural engineers, working in association with Hoynes Wholey Associates and Lockwood Andrews Newnom. Miner-Dederick is the general contractor.

PAINTED SISAL

522-1181 2410 Bissonnet

BETH ISRAEL CHAPEL AND CEMETERY WEST END SPECIAL DISTRICT ZONING

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Daniel Salomon, archilett, Beth Israel Chapel, perspective view.

One func t ion o f re l ig ion is to devise rites that impar t an awareness ot d iv ine pres-ence. Arch i tec ture may faci l i tate this awareness In in tensi fy ing the propert ies ot the physical w o r l d . In a schematic design for Congregat ion Beth Israel's Chapel and ( emetery on A n i o n i c Road near the Katy Freeway, San Francisco architect Danie l So lomon and his associ-ate, Gary Strang, propose a perinea hie s t ructure that engages its larger set t ing th rough the generous passage o f l ight , a i r , and water . The bu i ld ing 's wa l ls , roo f , and g round plane are discrete s t ruc tura l elements, del icately jo ined in to a cohesive and singular movement . T h r o u g h o u t the open plan o f the chapel and cemetery, a pervasive spat ial l iber ty prevai ls.

So lomon 's arch i tectura l expression o f fa i th has exceeded the expectat ions o f C ongrcgat ion Beth Israel's Cemetery Enhancement Commi t t ee , says cha i rman Joyce B. Chesnick. The lundament . i l ideas that under l ie the design ot the chape l , developed th rough readings and conversat ions between Rabbi Samuel K a r f f and Dan ie l S o l o m o n , center upon the qual i t ies ot i nd i v i dua l i t y , c o m m u n a l i -ty . and accept nice. I he t r r n l . n n o l movement that characterizes the design makes reference to ancient Juda ism, when rel ig ion was necessarily por tab le . A t the same t ime it acknowledges the con tempora ry p lu ra l i sm and l iberal ism ot the Reform Jewish t r ad i t i on . D u r i n g the funeral ceremony, this spatial f reedom w i l l a l l ow the congregat ion to accompa-ny the casket f r o m the chapel to the cemetery, thereby ma in ta in ing con t i nu i t y th roughou t the m o u r n i n g r i tua l . In the chapel , the ad jo in i ng c o u r t y a r d , and a variety o f in terst i t ia l spaces there are many oppor tun i t i es fo r visual and con -versat ional contact between members o f the communi ty Perhaps mosi signif icai i is that this simple structure presents no iconographic statements and el ici ts few

responses t o w a r d its o w n archi tectura l f o r m and presence. Instead it imbues space w i t h rac t i l i t y , l i gh t , coolness, and silence, where the f inal resolut ion o f l ife may be accepted.

T o date, the ef for ts o f the San Fran-cisco-based design consultants and the Beth Israel congregat ion have been char-acterized by the project commi t tee as ins ight fu l and devoted. The schematic design model and d rawings describe an unconvent iona l bu i l d ing type, h ighly craf ted in convent iona l mater ia l . Local Consultants W . S. Bel lows { ' ( ins t ruc t ion C o r p o r a t i o n and the Mathes C r o u p Archi tects are prepar ing cost estimates and permit review packages. Land acqu i -s i t ion lo r the project has been successful ly comple ted .

I'clcr Rockrise

Every M o n d a y night since early January , residents of the West I'.nd have been meet ing to develop a cus tom- f i t ted zon-ing ord inance that addresses the unique character o f their c o m m u n i t y . Or ig ina l l y zoned R l (s ingle-family residential on ly ) by I lous ton 's c i ty p lanners, this neigh-bo rhood does not easily l i t i n to either that str ict ly residential c lassi f icat ion or the much more loosely def ined Urban Ne ighbo rhood designat ion that has been appl ied to most mixed-use areas.

The West K.nd, bordered by N o r t h Shepherd, M e m o r i a l , Westcot t , ami W a s h i n g t o n , is a m i x t u r e o l commerc ia l ami l igh t - indust r ia l uses, apar tments and s ingle- fami ly homes, ar t is ts ' studios, home-based businesses, and vacant land. I lie community- contains several I lous ion fo lk -a r t l andmarks , i nc lud ing the Beer Can House, as wel l as a g r o w i n g collec-t i on of houses designed by p rominen t local architects. And whi le the area is p redominan t l y a blue-col lar I l ispanic ne ighbo rhood , both blacks and whites l ive in the c o m m u n i t y , as do a g r o w i n g number ot professionals, par t icular ly those in the arts and ar t - re lated f ields.

M a n y of the residents, par t icu lar ly those in the arts c o m m u n i t y , believed that the R I zon ing was too restr ict ive and d id no t consider the diverse fabr ic o f the exist ing c o m m u n i t y . One of their concerns was that R l zon ing w o u l d abet gcnrr i f ic . i t i on , forc ing out lower - income residents and w i t h them much of the commun i t y ' s ethnic and economic d ivers i ty . O n the other side o l ti le fence are residents w h o do want the R 1 zon ing and w i t h it .\\i increase in proper ty values and real-estate pred ic tab i l i t y . W i t h the w is -d o m of So lomon , the mapp ing subcom-mit tee of the c i ty 's Z o n i n g Strategies Commi t tee d iv ided the c o m m u n i t y in to t w o halves, one zoned R I and the other R O (residential on ly ) . Th is spl i t in the c o m m u n i t y , unacceptable to either side. forced residents to the table to negot iate a / o i u n g ord inance acceptable to al l o f the c o m m u n i t y .

The result is that neighbors are t a l k i ng to each o ther , foster ing a greater under-s tand ing o f their ne ighbo rhood . T w o o f the ke\ players in tin process have bet n I .microt i A rms t rong , .in archi tect , and his w i f e , art ist Terre l l James. James w o r k s o u t o f a studio in the West Knd , where she and A rms t rong are in the pro-cess o l bu i l d ing a house. I,ike many o f the artists w h o live in the area, they were

a t t rac ted to the West l a i d because o f its un ique character .mii diverse popu la t i on . A r m s t r o n g , w h o also w o r k s as a com mercial real estate broker , resulted belore ihe Planning and Z o n i n g Commiss ion in favor o f a special zon ing c lass i f icat ion and has d i a l l ed much o| \\ hat has been approved by their ne ighbo rhood commi t tee .

T h e g r o u p has developed three subd iv i -s ion classif icat ions: d ivers i f ied, residen-t i a l , and arts-resident ial. The ar ts-resident ial distr ict w i l l serve as a buf fer zone between the divers i f ied commerc ia l d istr ict (a long the per iphery o f the neigh-b o r h o o d , w h i c h is already p redominan t l y commerc ia l ) and an in ter io r resident ial d is t r ic t . One obstacle the g roup has had to overcome is the " v i s i on t h i n g " - when one person suggests the possibi l i ty o f ne ighborhood coffee shops, env is ion ing a Brasil (architect Danie l Fergus's cha rm-ing, understated coffee shop at the corner o f Dun lavy and Westheimer) , o thers see images nt .i McDona ld ' s 01 a Shipley's next doo r . A t this w r i t i n g , the toughest par t o f the process is yet to come: map-p ing. The l ine is clearly d r a w n between those « ho bchc\e the arts residential d is t r ic t shou ld cover the larger amoun t ot land and those w h o believe the residential d is t r ic t should occupy the greater po r t i on o f the area. Mos t residents, however . seem w i l l i n g ro compromise for the good of the larger c o m m u n i t y . Once the sub commi t tee members come up w i t h an agreed-upon d ra f t , they w i l l present it to the larger c o m m u n i t y at a t o w n meet ing. From there the zon ing ord inance w i l l go to the city counc i l for approva l .

These meetings are a t r ibu te to the open ness o l I louston 's zon ing process, and the West Knd Special Dis t r ic t Z o n i n g Ord inance w i l l be a p roduc t o f neighbors w o r k i n g together. Un fo r tuna te l y , the I l ispanic and A f r i can -Amer i can residents of the c o m m u n i t y , as wel l as many of the older wh i te residents, are not tak ing advantage o f the o p p o r t u n i t y to par t ic i -pate in this cruc ia l par i o f the zon ing process i alt hough pub l ic notices o f the meetings have been posted th roughou t t in ne ighborhood) . They have as much 10 lost 01 gain .is a n ; oni tn i l n area.

Sberyl Tucker

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THREATENED

His to r i c preservat ion has never had high p r i o r i t y in 1 lous ton . Yet , step In step i , i i innj ; the past 20 years, preservat ion advocates have bui l t enough of a consen-sus on the value o f preservat ion that the cit) 's proposed zoning code incorporates prov is ions for m a r k i n g and preserving historic properties and districts. Even so, potent ia l I lous ton landmarks con t in -ue to he demol ished a lmost m o n t h l y . Par t icu lar ly vulnerable are bu i ld ings con -structed between the I 'Mi ls and the I " I . I K . wh ich are ii'>i o ld enough to meel the 50-year age requirement for listing in the Na t i ona l Register of H is to r i c I ' l . u r v A l t h o u g h l is t ing in the Na t iona l Register does not mean that a bu i l d ing cannot he t o rn d o w n or al tered ( thai is someth ing on ly a local preservat ion ord inance can prevent I, it does o f f ic ia l l y recognize a bu i ld ing 's h is tor ica l meri t and gives preservat ionists mora l au tho r i t y in con -tested s i tuat ions. W i t h o u t h istor ical con-f i r m a t i o n , unsympathet ic owners are unl ikely to be persuaded of a threatened property 's s igni f icance, and m a k i n g the publ ic aware of the value ot the threat-ened histor ic resource is more d i f f i c u l t

I he vulnerabi l i ty ot 1 louston 's modern arch i tectura l heritage became clear this spr ing when it appeared that one o f Hous ton 's ou ts tand ing modern architec-tura l landmarks was about to be demo l -ished. This was the house that the architect H u g o V . Neuhaus, Jr.. designed and bu i l t fo r his fami l y in 1950-5 I o n Lazy Lane in River Oaks . The Neuhaus I louse, occupied by the architect unt i l his death in 19K7, was sold by his estate last year at a r o c k - b o t t om price and w i t h o u t preservat ion restr ic t ions. A f te r de termin-ing that the one-story pav i l i on , whose design was inf luenced by the w o r k o l Mies van der Rohe and Phi l ip Johnson , was not sui table for their requi rements, the new owners in i t ia l l y decided to raze it and bu i ld a replacement house o n the site, hu t have deferred this p lan and leased the Neuhaus House for 1H months .

A n ind ica t ion o f just how pervasive this p rob lem has become is the number o f m o d e m H o u s t o n bui ld ings o l the IV 90s and 1 Vt,0s that are threatened or are already lost, Trank L loyd Wr igh t ' s on ly bu i l d ing in the Hous to n area - the T h a x t o n I louse in hunker H i l l Vi l lage -n a r r o w l y avoided demo l i t i on as a tear dnw n m I 99 I, i l i . inks in a pub l ic aware-ness campa ign orchestrated by the Greater I louston Preservat ion Al l iance that gained nat ional a t ten t ion and

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r Skidmore, Owing* & Merrill, architects. United Corbon Co Research laboratory, 1962, demolished 1991.

Cow«ll & Neuhaus, architects, Neuhaus House, 1951.

at t racted a sympathet ic buyer {Cite, Spring I 99 I ) . N o i so lucky was (>"NVil l o r d and R ichard S. Col ley 's f i rst bu i l d ing fo r Texas Inst ruments , bui l t in 1957 at R i c h m o n d and Buf fa lo Speedway. Solvay America tore it d o w n in 1992 and replaced it w i t h a pa rk ing lot . Sk idmore , Ow ings & Mer r i l l ' s Uni ted Ca rbo n Compan y Bu i ld ing o f 1961 on the K.ny f reeway was demol ished in 1991 to clear the site. Burdette Keelaud's much -pub l i -cized Essex-Houck Bu i ld ing o f 1962, an early I lous ton example o f the N e w Rru ta l i sm, was demol ished in 199 | and replaced by a mega-apar tmen t complex-developed by [enard Gross. S tand ing, but no longer recognizable, are t w o I l o w a r d Barnstonc bu i ld ings; I'iney Point Elementary School at Fondren and Rosecrest (1962) was encased in concrete by the I lous ton Independent School D is t r i c t , wh i le the Black Angus at Weslayan a n d West A labama (1961) is gone w i t h the w i n d n o w that it has been repackaged as the Confederate I louse. I hreatened w i t h demo l i t i on are the Blue R ibbon Rice M i l l s elevators at Studemont and M e m o r i a l and M a c k i e cv Kamra th ' s Scl i l i imherger Bu i ld ing on the G u l f f reeway ot I 95.1.

Changes in taste, f luc tua t ions in property-values, corpora te res t ruc tu r ing , env i ron -mental anxiet ies (especially over the pres-ence ot asbestos), ,wn\ the effects of deferred maintenance are al l factors that can con t r ibu te to the decision to demol -ish rather than rehabi l i ta te and conserve. M o d e r n bu i ld ings are par t icu lar ly vulner-able since they are apt to look " d a t e d " rather than " h i s t o r i c , " even to architects,

J im Steely, deputy d i rec tor of the Texas I Listorical < Commission and head of its Na t i ona l Register Programs sect ion, observes that "1 louston 's response to W o r l d War II and the b o o m per iod that fo l l owed th rough the 1950s and 1960s created a remarkab le monumen t to m o d -ern archi tecture and the au tomob i l e . I his s ign i f icant per iod in Hous ton ' s h is tory , f r o m | l>-15to 19~ ' , is generally not mea-sured as 'h is tor ic ' by the 50-year o ld yardst ick o l state and tederal preserva-t i on p rograms. O n l y t h rough local recog-n i t i on , and local p ro tec t ion th rough zon ing and preservat ion incentives, w i l l I lous ton 's s igni f icant examples of post Wo i Id W.u II modern archi tecture be saved tor lurure genera t ions . "

I he t l i re.n to modern landmarks has p romp ted o rgan iza t ion o f the M o d e r n Arch i tec ture Preservation League, based in Denver. D iane Ray, the league's execu-tive d i rec tor , began the g r o u p in 1990 in response to the p lanned dest ruct ion o l Denver 's central l i b ra ry , designed by Bur i ihan i 1 loy t . I he league's campaign was successful. Instead of bu l ldoz ing the l i b ra ry , the city sponsored a compet i -t i o n - w o n by M ichae l Graves - for expand ing it.

M iss Ray is c r i t i ca l o f the Na t i ona l Register's 50-year rule, wh i ch she describes as "m ind less . " Ne i ther Co lo rado ' s state register nor Denver 's landmarks commiss ion have age restric-t ions. This has s impl i f ied the league's ef for ts to have other modern bu i ld ings designated as landmarks , a l though even th is has nor ensured preservat ion o f some contested structures.

In add i t i on to h is tor ica l surveys of m o d -ern bui ld ings and landmark des ignat ion, the league is pursu ing pub l ic educat ion programs and has enl isted the suppor t o f Denver 's arch i tectura l c o m m u n i t y , A cur rent project is the l a n d m a r k i n g o f 1. M . Pei's Zeckendor f Plaza, consis t ing o f the Denver I l i l t on I Intel and the M a v DckT C o . department store (now owned by I i. ley's), bui l t m I ' " . I . \ l t h n u g h the act iv i t ies nf the preservat ion league remain centered on Denver and C o l o r a d o ami its membersh ip is sma l l . Miss Ray reports considerable interest na t iona l l y , no t i ng that architects Robert Ven tu r i and Wal ter Netsch , as we l l as h is tor ian Richard l .ongstreth. have all become members. Mo reove r , the league has been asked to par t ic ipate in an in ternat iona l conference on the preservat ion ot m o d e m archi tecture, being organized for 1994,

The pl ight o l the Neuhaus 1 louse ind i -cates, once again, that no bu i l d ing in I l ous ton , irrespective o f its l oca t i on , its arch i tectura l mer i t , o r the prestige o l its associat ions, is immune I rom the threat o f d e m o l i t i o n . D iane Ray and members o l the M o d e r n Arch i tec ture Preservation l e a g u e have demonst ra ted the leasihi luy of bu i l d i ng a const i tuency for the protec-t i on of modern landmarks . As | im Steely indicates, the responsib i l i ty for ensur ing that preservat ion is even an o p t i o n is essentially local . F rom the 1940s t h rough the 1960s, Hous to n reveled in its image as a " c i t y o f the f u t u re . " N o w h e r e was this given more conv inc ing representat ion than in bu i ld ings o l modern design. If these are not t o f o l l o w V ic to r ian 1 louston in to a stale ot v i r tua l ex t i nc t i on , then efforts musr he made to ident i fy , in terpret the signif icance o f , and legally protect the c i ty 's ou ts tand ing w o r k s of m id -20 th -cenrury modern arch i tecture.

Stephen Fox

THE SEE-THROUGH YEARS Creation and Destruction in Texas Architecture and Real Estate, 1981-1991

Gyk A ground-breaking book with implications far ouiside of (he Texas building scene.

- Wichoef flcnedifei

Available at your local bookstore or through: Rice University Press P.O. Box 1892 Houston. Texas 77252 I 800 826-8911

Joel Warren Barna Photographs by Blackmon Winters Kuhner

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FOR THE PEOPLE'S PARK

Several days a week, to help ho ld m i to heal th and h u m o r , I t rot .1 couple n l miles under the arch o f l ive oaks a long H e r m a n n Park's jogging t ra i l . In 19K4, wh i le t ra in ing for the I lo t is ton M a r a t h o n , I ran that same course so miles a week and wro te some rap tu rous anaerobic verses t i t led "Poe m fo r the People's Park . " I had chosen to t ra in o n the t w o - m i l e d i r t track instead of in M e m o r i a l Park because ot the visuals: mat rons w a l k i n g in groups, coveys o i sk inny runners f rom Rice and the Univers i ty of H o u s t o n . I remember w i t h special fondness a d ign i f ied elderly man wear ing a hospital bracelet on his wr i s t . smi l ing b road ly as if each m o r n i n g were a blessed reprieve fo r us a l l , even the h igh-s tepping horses f r o m the stables on A lmeda . In those days the I le rmann c r o w d was a yeasty m i x of folks o f a l l classes, ages, and races, none of w h o m wo re go ld chains o r Day-g lo shorts .

O n the day I sat d o w n to w r i t e the poem, I remember d is t inc t ly , 1 had found a long the t ra i l a sleeping man wrapped in b r o w n paper, ty ing peaceful ly on the swale nearby. There he was, eyes c losed, face tu rned up to heaven, en joy ing the people's park unmolested. I must have found someth ing wonde r fu l about the m a n , because he made it in to the poem. L o o k i n g back, I realize that his sleeping f o r m spoke to me of the sol i tude, t ran -qu i l l i t y , and freedom many o f us f i nd in this green oasis.

Since that t ime I've not iced many changes occur r ing in Hous ton 's great u rban pub-

I IL space. Mi les of w a l k w a y s w ide enough to accommodate a Rol ls Royce have begun snak ing t h rough H e r m a n n Park's in ter ior . A long Itrays Kayou south ot M a c d r e g o r Dr i ve , the Parks and Recreat ion Depar tment has made an a l l -ou t assault on a rare th icket whose dew-berry bushes, rose hedges, and tal l trees once prov ided a hab i ta t fo r rabbi ts , squirre ls, and many species of b i rds. O n foggy morn ings last year, I used to f lush the same large gray o w l out o f a pine tree. It 's been mon ths since I've encoun-tered h i m .

W h y this passion fo r t idiness and un i fo r -mi ty? I've heard it argued that the city tries to eradicate these tangles because they might a f fo rd havens tor the home-less. I, a long w i t h many other park users, deeply regret this loss o f habi ta t . I his is no t to say that I l ike seeing vagrants l iv-ing m I l e rmann Park. These people ought I<I h . iu houses but should not be hidden away f r o m the rest of us because they do nor. W e need to acknowledge t h e m , to recognize their human i t y . Once in a wh i le on w i n t r y af ternoons I s topped to chat w i t h several men w h o were c o o k i n g co rn -bread and sausage in the lee o f M i l l e r Theater . The men seemed heal thy, their manner f r iend ly and po l i te . I l o u n d later that when the need arose they helped the theater people move heavy equ ipment . They ' re not par t icu lar ly scary, and they ' re not dangerous. But the lack of a permanent hab i ta t i on renders them a threat to man) ' of us w h o live in houses. There must be someth ing w r o n g , we t h i n k , w i t h people w h o sleep in thickets.

View along the main axis of Hermann Pork.

The greatest challenge facing groups and individuals interested in I lermann Park today might lie how well we learn to share this precious space, this urban habi-tat, with a diverse group of citizen users. In the ten years I have been running through 1 lennann I'ark, six acres ot pre-cious open space have been fenced and landscaped as a Japanese garden that costs the people $1.50 to visit. The price of a zoo ticket is $2. SO. Genera] admis-sion to the Museum of Natural Science is $2.50; the price of an IMAX Theatre ticket is $5 . To play on the recently pri vatized golf course costs $10, $12 on weekends. While the city of Houston is in the process of leasing land it administers in trust for the people ot I louston to private interests who charge admission tees that exceed the budgets of many I louston families, a significant number of picnic benches seem to have disappeared. What happened to those families who once spread picnics under die pine trees next to the playground equipment along Fannin? Where should they go now?

The Texas and Local History Room of i hi- I louston Public I ih ran has on file iln w II ill ( ,n irgi I i 1 lii m.mn. I In \\ ill is short, almost acerbic. It says simply that Mr. I lermann wished to make a gill ol land " to be held in trust for the use of the public as a public park ."

In recent meetings ot the Friends of Hermann Park, a group (of which I am a member) of interested citizens formed to preserve the integrity ot the park and to make improvements to n. I heard people discuss the advisability ol installing park benches with center partitions that pre-vent a person from reclining. I heard the then director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Don Olson, refer to 1 lermann as a "limited-use park" and other l-'riends advocate ridding the park ot a few limited uses like the train and the paddle boats on the Grand Basin. Already these are almost the only general "uses" presently available in the park. In a recent meeting of this group, I was told that it is Parks and Recreation Department policy not to have public restrooms in Hermann Park. It is difficult to reconcile these exclusionary attitudes and policies with the concept of a breath-ing space for all I loustonians.

The l-'riends of I lermann Park have the best intentions toward the park. They entertain grand and sweeping visions. They have undertaken to raise funds to

hire a master planner to start the process ot creating a premier urban park. In addition, the group has pledged to raise funds to implement the winning design from the Rice Design Alliance's Heart of the Park competition. No one can argue with these aims. However, I begin to net nervous when I hear well-intentioned and well-heeled members of this group speak of their "par tnership" with the city of I louston in improving and maintaining I lermann Park.

A partnership requires more or less equal partners, sharing clearly defined responsi-bilities. But no organizational structure yet exists to distinguish areas in which the city would make and implement poli-cies lor areas the private group would manage. It seems imperative that, in the process ot planning the park, a for-mal partnership agreement be created between the city and tin- Friends of I lermann Park. Such an agreement would establish .i quasi political MI iicture in implement the partnership, including an ongoing citizens' commission or review board to approve all significant changes to the park. Hermann Park was given in the city in trust for the benefit of all the people ot Houston, and the mayor and s n\ council must take care not to divest themselves of their responsibility to the electorate. Moreover, we, the Friends of I lermann Park, must avoid even the appearance of privatization, such as the takeover recently at tempted in Memorial Park. Runners and other users loudly rejected the proposal ol a private health and fitness facility in Memorial Park. The matrons who walk in Hermann Park, the joggers on the trail do not have equally powerful voices. The Friends should cer-tainly carry out their deliberations openly and submit their plans to public scrutiny. The true cost of private charitable sub-vention must not be a policy ol quietly restricting use of the park by instituting user fees, eliminating popular attractions, and implementing designs hostile to users who do not conform to middle-class notions of propriety and decorum.

Olive Hershcy

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