Gensler recently completed a major renovation of the 1926 Julia Ideson Building - one of Houston's grandest public buildings and the former main public library.
The $32 million renovation resulted from a dynamic public/private partnership between the City of Houston and the non-profit Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners (JILPP). The "new" building will serve as a repository of Houston memorabilia and rare archival material as well as the city's official reception space and a venue for exhibits, meetings and other special events.
Gensler served as architect, Balfour Beatty US was the project's contractor, and TBG Partners served as landscape architects.
Originally designed by noted Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram, the building is an outstanding example of the Spanish Renaissance-style replete with polychrome painted ceilings, intricate woodwork, marble columns and lofty public spaces. Cram's design included a south wing and a reading garden which were never realized due to budget cuts. The "new" Ideson has a south wing that is true to Cram's original design as well as a reading garden.
The restoration was executed with painstaking detail on both the interior and exterior. The project included: a new roof, replacements for missing cast stone pieces, a reconfigured and re- landscaped plaza that was careful to preserve the champion bur oaks and a new fence similar to the one shown in Cram & Ferguson's 1923 presentation drawings.
On the inside, the intricately painted and coffered ceilings in the public rooms were restored. Historic light fixtures were re-lamped and reproduction fixtures were added in spaces that had no original lighting. Ornamental iron and metal work was refurbished. Tile, wood and stone floors were repaired and refinished.
Most of the furniture in the public spaces is original to the library or to the 1904 Carnegie Library that preceded it. The built-in bookcases in the second floor Reading Room and the hand-carved children's furniture featuring fairy-tale scenes in the Norma Meldrum Room on the first floor are original.
Paintings and sculptures throughout are from the Houston Public Library's collection. Many of the works were previously displayed in the Ideson and/or Carnegie libraries. The Ideson contains the city's largest installation of public murals completed under the Works Progress Administration program after the Depression.
The Ideson building is among the first Texas Historic Landmark projects on track for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. An efficient air-handling system and recycled and low-emitting construction materials are key components of the sustainable design that was created by Gensler in partnership with MEP engineers Redding Linden Burr. BD+C
Related Stories
| Jan 15, 2015
Libeskind unveils 'zig zag' plan for recreational center near Vilnius ski area
Perched on the highest peak between Vilnius' historic quarter and downtown, the Vilnius Beacon will be a hub for visiting skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.
| Jan 15, 2015
Illustrations capture essence of Aalto, Ando, Hadid, Foster, and other famous architects [slideshow]
The illustrations are Federico Babina's abstract interpretations of the styles of famous architects, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Bjarke Ingels.
| Jan 14, 2015
10 change management practices that can ease workplace moves
No matter the level of complexity, workplace change can be a challenge for your client's employees. VOA's Angie Lee breaks down the process of moving offices as efficiently as possible, from creating a "change team" to hosting hard-hat tours.
| Jan 13, 2015
Steven Holl unveils design for $450 million redevelopment of Houston's Museum of Fine Arts
Holl designed the campus’ north side to be a pedestrian-centered cultural hub on a lively landscape with ample underground parking.
| Jan 12, 2015
23 projects win AIA's highest architecture award
Bjarke Ingels' Danish Maritime Museum and William Rawn's Cambridge Public Library are among the winning projects.
| Jan 9, 2015
Santiago Calatrava talks with BBC about St. Nicholas Church on Ground Zero
Calatrava reveals that he wanted to retain the “tiny home” feel of the original church building that was destroyed with the twin towers on 9/11.
| Jan 9, 2015
Nonresidential construction hiring surges in December 2014
The U.S. construction industry added 48,000 jobs in December, including 22,800 jobs in nonresidential construction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate released Jan. 9.
| Jan 9, 2015
10 surprising lessons Perkins+Will has learned about workplace projects
P+W's Janice Barnes shares some of most unexpected lessons from her firm's work on office design projects, including the importance of post-occupancy evaluations and having a cohesive transition strategy for workers.
| Jan 9, 2015
Technology and media tenants, not financial companies, fill up One World Trade Center
The financial sector has almost no presence in the new tower, with creative and media companies, such as magazine publisher Conde Nast, dominating the vast majority of leased space.
| Jan 8, 2015
Microsoft shutters classic clipart gallery: Reaction from a graphic designer
Microsoft shut down its tried-and-true clipart gallery, ridding the world not only of a trope of graphic design, but a nostalgic piece of digital design history, writes HDR's Dylan Coonrad.
