If Astrodome was on the ballot to be demolished... (Houston: sales, apartments)

[Houston321]

Demolish it. The thought that it is still standing is a disgrace.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Texyn

Eh, speak for yourselves.

It was put to a vote by the people. It strongly suggested that, at least, a plurality of Harris County residents were only interested in saving the Dome if it didn't involve their taxpayer dollars. Ed Emmett and the commissioner's court have ignored that.

If there was a way to save it in a productive, economically viable way, I'd be all for it. But in retrospect it really wasn't even that productive and economically viable way to host professional sports, before we even try to invent a new use for it. It was a major league sports venue for a grand total of 34 years, and for nearly half that 34 years its major league tenants were either threatening to move, or did, because it was obsolete and optimized for absolutely none of the events to which it was commonly host.

The Astrodome is hardly a UNESCO cultural site, and you will not find anyone outside some Houstonians and Ed Emmett who regard it like so. It's not the Parthenon. It's not Machu Picchu. It hosted a gimmicky, possibly fixed tennis exhibition. Concerts that sounded like the speaker in my laptop turned up really loud. Some Evel Knievel stunts and monster truck rallies.

And of course, about a half-dozen monumental sporting chokes by the home team(s) that even Houston sports fans should be eager to let fade with the rest of the 20th century.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by jfre81

If there was a way to save it in a productive, economically viable way, I'd be all for it.

Yes, and those ideas are out and about right now waiting to be heard. Tearing the Dome down would be short-sighted and hasty, just as with all the other structures that the city has torn down through it's time.

The Astrodome is hardly a UNESCO cultural site, and you will not find anyone outside some Houstonians and Ed Emmett who regard it like so. It's not the Parthenon. It's not Machu Picchu. It hosted a gimmicky, possibly fixed tennis exhibition. Concerts that sounded like the speaker in my laptop turned up really loud. Some Evel Knievel stunts and monster truck rallies.

All of which say less about the Dome's intrinsic quality, and more about the city's (inefficient) integration of it regarding quality of life.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Texyn

All of which say less about the Dome's intrinsic quality, and more about the city's (inefficient) integration of it regarding quality of life.

Actually, the Astrodome reinforced the perverse Houstonian concept of "quality of life," namely that you can't do anything without an air-conditioned bubble around you at all times. Which is why, even here in 2018, I'm reading internet posts from people in Houston talking about how public transit doesn't work because it's hot here.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Actually, the Astrodome reinforced the perverse Houstonian concept of "quality of life," namely that you can't do anything without an air-conditioned bubble around you at all times. Which is why, even here in 2018, I'm reading internet posts from people in Houston talking about how public transit doesn't work because it's hot here.

I was originally making the QOL point from the perspective of urban neighborhoods helping to provide great exposure. Houston's sprawling focus from the mid-century onwards prevented the creation of such urban neighborhoods, like with what Boston has surrounding Fenway...

However, I will put that aside for you bring up salient points regarding Houston's constant feel to shun the outdoors, from enclosed stadiums to underground downtown tunnels. Houston will have to embrace its outdoors in order for people to perceive it as worth being part of. And can't be accomplished as long as the A/C bubble culture continues. This gives way to yet another avenue through which repurposement of the Dome can be carried out: a catalyst and forefront of Houston's great move to the outdoors, while still immortalizing the city's engineering integrity.

And that, my friend, is why I'll say that the plan I have posted below is, by far, the best idea for repurposement I've ever seen for this structure at this point. It absolutely blows away any of the countless event space and parking-garage ideas. What was once a reinforcement of climate controlled domestication becomes a way to embrace the outdoors. A symbol of change:



http://www.architectmagazine.com/pro.../a-dome-park_o

[jfre81]

If it's keeping the frame and still using the space without spending nine figures on a renovation for which there is no clear purpose (supply without demand, basically) and still using the space for something, I'm fine with that. Opening up that nine acres to parking can only help reduce the parking-lot feel of that whole section of town.

As for livable neighborhoods and the like, there's really nothing the Astrodome has to offer. The area around it isn't a neighborhood. It's a big double-decker nothing sandwich in terms of urban life. I lived just across 610 for several years, so it's not like I'm making that assessment from afar. It might as well be Arlington around Jerryworld and where the Rangers are already building their second ballpark 25 years. That's another story for another day. Nothing built in the Dome's era is conducive to urban quality of life. The Dome is from the same school of Houstonian urban planning that gave us Gulfton, perhaps the world's greatest example of how population density does not mean urbanity in and of itself.

But then we have Minute Maid Park, and nearly two decades later it's actually got a little semblance of a neighborhood ballpark feel. It's a far cry from Wrigleyville or Fenway-Kenmore - let's not kid ourselves here - but it's developed so it's closer to that level of ambiance than hiking across the Dome parking lot and its airport-tarmac feel could ever get.

The Dome was built for the Houston that had its downtown area half paved over in surface lots. MMP was built for the Houston that's trying to become a proper city and not an overgrown oil boomtown. You could actually look at MMP's construction as being a turning point for downtown and inner Houston as a whole.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by jfre81

If it's keeping the frame and still using the space without spending nine figures on a renovation for which there is no clear purpose (supply without demand, basically) and still using the space for something, I'm fine with that. Opening up that nine acres to parking can only help reduce the parking-lot feel of that whole section of town.

It's retainment of the frame, along with some modifications that allow visitors to truly explore it. It even has its own website:
ABOUT - a dome park

As for livable neighborhoods and the like, there's really nothing the Astrodome has to offer. The area around it isn't a neighborhood. It's a big double-decker nothing sandwich in terms of urban life.

Nothing built in the Dome's era is conducive to urban quality of life. The Dome is from the same school of Houstonian urban planning that gave us Gulfton, perhaps the world's greatest example of how population density does not mean urbanity in and of itself.

All a result of Houston becoming slave to the automobile during that time, as I've already pointed out.

But then we have Minute Maid Park, and nearly two decades later it's actually got a little semblance of a neighborhood ballpark feel. It's a far cry from Wrigleyville or Fenway-Kenmore - let's not kid ourselves here - but it's developed so it's closer to that level of ambiance than hiking across the Dome parking lot and its airport-tarmac feel could ever get.

The Dome was built for the Houston that had its downtown area half paved over in surface lots. MMP was built for the Houston that's trying to become a proper city and not an overgrown oil boomtown. You could actually look at MMP's construction as being a turning point for downtown and inner Houston as a whole.

No doubt that Minute Maid Park is spurring more proper urban development in the eastern areas of downtown. And it really got rid of the climate-controlled bubble that people thought Houston was only survivable through. Same goes for the Dynamo Stadium.

Speaking of which, Minute Maid Park is actually around the area of downtown that was covered with surface lots in the photo you showed. So it really demonstrates how far downtown has come since then. Nevertheless, the photo actually crops out much of the west downtown, where the bulk of high rises and grand historic architecture are concentrated. The buildings that previously occupied those parking lot spaces were small SFHs. So to someone without context, it looks as if Houston shaved down loads of grand historic towers for parking lots, when all that occured was simply urban-renewal as was common in US cities...which unfortunately coincided with prominence of the car-culture.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by Texyn

No doubt that Minute Maid Park is spurring more proper urban development in the eastern areas of downtown. And it really got rid of the climate-controlled bubble that people thought Houston was only survivable through. Same goes for the Dynamo Stadium.

You realize they almost never open the roof at minute maid, right? If its hotter than 78, or we are playing a tough opponent the roof is always shut.

I went to quite a few games this past season, and not one was the roof open.

[jfre81]

It's rarely open except for early/late season games, but even closed it's a better environment for baseball than the Astrodome ever could be.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by marksmu

You realize they almost never open the roof at minute maid, right? If its hotter than 78, or we are playing a tough opponent the roof is always shut.

I went to quite a few games this past season, and not one was the roof open.

It at least has the option of being open, which is a step forward from complete shelter like the Astrodome. Next up is truly embracing the weather: kinda silly to close a roof on a nice, 80F day...