City Hall with Bank of America Center

Constructed in 1938–39, the Houston City Hall building is home to Houston’s city government. Surrounded by Downtown Houston’s skyscrapers the simply designed structure features classic construction details. A prime example of southwestern architecture of the late 1930s, Houston’s City Hall was originally built above a crowded fish market, so City Hall always has entertained a lively commercial market, and today the towering structure sits relatively small among downtown’s massive skyscrapers. One of the first significant examples of postmodern architecture in Downtown Houston, the Bank of America Center is distinctive in its quality and stature. The fourth tallest building in Houston at 780 feet, the 56-story building was designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee and completed in October 1983. Previously known as the RepublicBank Center, the NCNB Center and the NationsBank Center, the Class A tower is a pinnacle of architecture, delivering the quality office space and service in the Houston Theater District. Reminiscent of the Dutch Gothic architecture of canal houses in The Netherlands, the building features three segmented tower setbacks, each with a steeply pitched gabled roofline topped off with spires. The building features 32 passenger elevators finished with rare wood panels, an art gallery in the lobby and plans to host curated exhibitions.

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