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One Shell Plaza

Coordinates: 29°45′33″N 95°22′04″W / 29.7591°N 95.3677°W / 29.7591; -95.3677
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One Shell Plaza
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCommercial offices
Architectural styleModernism
Location910 Louisiana Street
Houston, Texas
CountryUnited States
Coordinates29°45′33″N 95°22′04″W / 29.7591°N 95.3677°W / 29.7591; -95.3677
Completed1971; 53 years ago (1971)
Height
Antenna spire304.8 m (1,000 ft)
Roof218 m (715 ft)
Technical details
Floor count50
Floor area113,900 m2 (1,226,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators22
Design and construction
Architect(s)Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
DeveloperHines Interests Limited Partnership
EngineerSkidmore, Owings & Merrill
Main contractorW. S. Bellows Construction
References
[1][2][3][4]

One Shell Plaza (OSP) is a 50-story, 218 m (715 ft) skyscraper at 910 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas. Perched atop the building is an antenna that brings the height to 304.8 m (1,000 ft). At its completion in 1971, the tower was the tallest in the city.

Designers

One Shell Plaza was designed by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Associate architects were Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson, and the landscape architects were Sasaki Associates. One Shell Square, in New Orleans and Republic Plaza in Denver, also designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, have designs very similar to that of One Shell Plaza. Like One Shell Plaza, One Shell Square has Shell Oil as a major tenant.

Tenants

Shell Oil Company, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, was headquartered in this building until 2016.[5][6][7][8] The law firm of Baker Botts is also headquartered there.[9][10]

The Houston Club, on the 49th floor of the building, has dining, entertainment, and meeting facilities.[11]

History

The building opened in 1971 and was renovated in 1994.[11] The $80 million in major renovations included an updated lobby and plaza, elevator modernization, upgrades to the buildings EMP systems, new lighting, and ADA modifications.[12]

In December 2011 Shell renewed the lease for 804,491 sq ft (74,739.7 m2). The new lease retroactively had the start date of January 1, 2011, and will last for 15 years, ending in 2025.[13]

In March 2012 Hines Interests Limited Partnership announced it was putting the building up for sale.[14]

The building stood in for the headquarters of the "Knox Oil Company" in the 1983 film Local Hero.

Antennae

The 170 ft mast atop the building has carried various television and radio signals since the building's completion. The mast supported 1971 start up channel 26 KVRL (later KDOG, now KRIV) and a mast that simultaneously radiated signals for eight FM stations KYND (then 92.5, now KKBQ on 92.9 MHz), 93.7 KRLY (now KQBT), 95.7 KIKK-FM (now KKHH), 99.1 KODA, 100.3 KILT-FM, 101.1 KLOL, 102.1 KLYX, and 104.1 KRBE. The combiner and antenna was supplied by Electronic Research Inc. One Shell was used until the completion of the then Texas Commerce Tower and Allied Bank Plaza in 1982–1983, creating a skyscraper canyon that causes multipath distortion, and necessitated the move to the Houston antenna farm in Missouri City.

  • Houston skyline in 1971 shortly after completion of the building
    Houston skyline in 1971 shortly after completion of the building

See also

References

  1. ^ "One Shell Plaza". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
  2. ^ One Shell Plaza at Emporis
  3. ^ "One Shell Plaza". SkyscraperPage.
  4. ^ One Shell Plaza at Structurae
  5. ^ Sarnoff, Nancy. "Namesake tenant departing One Shell Plaza". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Shell Wind Energy offices." Royal Dutch Shell. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
  7. ^ "Request for a Grant from Shell." Royal Dutch Shell. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
  8. ^ "Privacy Policy." Royal Dutch Shell. Retrieved on January 14, 2009.
  9. ^ "Baker Botts hires corporate partner." Austin Business Journal. Wednesday January 21, 2004. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  10. ^ "Houston, Texas." Baker Botts. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "One Shell Plaza 910 Louisiana Street | Houston | Texas..."
  11. ^ a b "One Shell Plaza." Hines Interests Limited Partnership. Retrieved on January 17, 2009.
  12. ^ TheSquareFoot "910 Louisiana Street." November 15, 2013. November 15, 2013.
  13. ^ Patel, Purva. "Shell renews downtown lease." Houston Chronicle. December 5, 2011. Retrieved on December 5, 2011.
  14. ^ Sarnoff, Nancy. "Major downtown HQ to hit the market." Houston Chronicle. March 27, 2012. Retrieved on March 30, 2012.
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