The Bank of America Tower, seen from the nearby Chase Tower observation desk (photo by Kathy M. Slaughter)
My favorite building in the Houston skyline is the Bank of America Center at 700 Louisiana St. The building was formerly called Republic Bank Center, then NationalBank Center and now Bank of America Center.
The Bank of America Center has a total of 1.25 million square feet of office and retail space. It is also connected to the Downtown Houston tunnel system.
Architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed the building using concepts from 17th century Dutch Renaissance architecture. The structure, finished in 1983, is clad with red Swedish granite. The sidewalks surrounding the building the building are the same granite. Inside the lobby is an18-foot-high Seth Thomas clock made in 1914. Only 300 of this type of clock were made. The building is 56 stories high.
The Bank of America Center, seen from Smith Street in Downtown Houston (photo by Kathy M. Slaughter)
The Bank of America Center was built around the two-story Western Union building. Because of the electrical connections housed in the old building, it they could not be razed.
The Center has 32 passenger elevators. The interiors are finished with wood panels of Birdseye Maple, Macassar Ebony, Italian Willow, Tamo and Kevazingo.
The office tower appears to be three adjoining buildings because it is divided by two major set backs in three segments. The structure is 780 feet high and 110 feet wide at the largest points. The gabled roofline is topped off with spires. Every roof level has lead and coated copper-sculpted obelisks. The building has 86 obelisks with the smallest being eight feet tall and the largest 12 feet tall.
M-M Properties, a privately owned real estate investment firm, founded by Kenneth S. Moczulski, currently owns the Bank of America Center.
