3 replies to this topic

[Urbndwlr]

I recall hearing someone mention the name of the design architect at SOM who led the design for the First National Bank building at 500 W. 7th Street (now called First on 7th) but cannot remember the name. 

 

Anyone know who the lead architect at SOM was for that project?

 

Also it would be interesting to learn why and how the bank chose SOM and what their approach was. 

Was there a particularly involved or passionate CEO of the bank at the time who led this initiative?

 

Here is the Wikipedia page on SOM. 

https://en.wikipedia...wings_&_Merrill

 

I looked at a couple of the lead designers of the time, yet FNB was not listed on their projects for either Gordon Bunshaft or Natalie de Blois. Perhaps there were several?

Its possible the Wikipedia page is not the most comprehensive resource listing their work.

[Stadtplan]

Seems like Gordon Bunshaft was actually part of the design team:

 

(Discussing the Isamu Noguchi sculpture...)

[Austin55]

This is not really directly related to this thread, but it seems like there are a lot of high profile architects and firms who have done work in FW but those works often seem to be among the lesser published or well known works from those architects. SOM obviously did work across the country, but it feels like 500 W 7th is often unrecognized as being on their works. 

 

Just for examples

-John Portman, The Tower

-Venturi, Scott, & Brown, West 7th Post Office

-Robert A. M. Stern, The Grandmarc

-Paul Rudolph, City Center Towers & Sid Richardson Building

-Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo, Moudy Building 

[John T Roberts]

I think with the advancement of time, these lesser known buildings have been forgotten as designed by these famous architectural firms.  Also, I know we don't include houses on this forum, but the Sid and Anne Bass House was only one of 30 homes that Paul Rudolph designed.  This house gives him 3 structures in the city that his firm was responsible for the design.  Along the same lines, I.M. Pei only designed 3 houses in his career, and we have one of them in the Tandy House.  What is even more of a coincidence is that the Bass House and the Tandy House sit on the same physical block. 

 

Going back to the commercial side, John Portman's Fort Worth National Bank was actually a revolutionary design for his firm.  His previous projects had a very tall atrium surrounded by hotel rooms.  This skyscraper design turned that concept inside out and ran the core of his building through the middle of the atrium, which was on the outside of the building and sheathed in sloped glass.  Portman later took this concept to further extremes at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles and the Renaissance Center in Detroit.  I think one of the reasons that Portman seems to no longer be credited with this project is from the radical remodeling of the building to convert it to residential.  Other than the octagonal tower, all of the original design features are gone.

 

I could comment on all the rest, but I think that is enough for now.