HOUSTON— Long a part of Houston’s oil-rich history, the historic Humble Oil building has been transformed into a two-hotel complex and apartments while the exterior façade of the building has been revitalized in an effort to maintain its character. The historic preservation of the building’s neoclassical exterior was key in the transformation project, although at points it entailed meticulous detailing and special care. “We were trying to preserve it for the city; Humble Oil represents Houston at its core,” said Stephen Swan project manager for Randall Davis on the Humble Oil building. “You get a feeling for what you are charged with when you understand the history and gravity of this building as it relates to Houston history.” The Humble Oil Company changed its name to Exxon in the 1960s, later becoming Exxon Mobil. The $70 million restored complex now houses a nine-story 191-room Courtyard by Marriott, a 10-story 171-room Residence Inn by Marriott, 82 luxury apartments in a 15-story building, and a parking garage. The Humble Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features buff tapestry brick, dramatic urns, terra cotta ornamentation, and roof terraces in the apartment tower now reutilized as private patios for residents. The oversized windows of the building were also maintained. The hotels are a good fit for the historic building, according to General manager John Parker. “The building is very upscale looking, which gives us a good competitive advantage. It enhances the brand experience being in a downtown property.” Parker added that the building’s history and restored appearance acts “as an icebreaker” with guests who are curious about its architecture and history. A photo exhibit in the lobby explains some of the building’s history. “A lot of guests are really amazed by it,” Parker said. “When you look up to the skyline the copper [accents]and detail work is beautiful.” The Courtyard is housed in the original Humble Oil Building completed in 1921, while the Residence Inn occupies a wing added to the complex in 1940. The property also boasts 6,000 sq. ft. of retail space, partly occupied by the street-level Humble Café, operated by Courtyard. “The building has a lot of character to say the least,” Parker said. The redevelopment of the building is a partnership between New Orleans-based Historic Restoration Inc. and Housing Horizons LLC, a division of Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp., a company that specializes in tax-credit real estate projects. The building was occupied by Humble Oil until 1962. After that it was used as general purpose office space, with banking and financial services being the last major tenants until the property was vacated in 1992. The building comprises about 473,000 square-feet of space and is one city block in length. The Humble Building is within two block’s of the city’s office corridor district and in the buffer area of the South End Neighborhood where planners envision substantial residential development in the future, according to Housing Horizons, LLC. The buildings are steel frame faced with grey limestone and buff tapestry brick. The original portion of the building rests on a three-foot granite base. Cornices encircle the building above the second and sixth floors, and the façade is embellished with neoclassical pilasters, scrolled brackets and terra cotta ornamentation. There is also a promenade roof, and where the tower’s top three stories are set back, a service block with giant urns at each corner grace the façade. The windows are accordion-fold steel windows, many of which are original although some needed to be replicated and repaired. Parker said that the restored oversized windows lend a degree of depth to the rooms, which also have very high ceilings. The main cornice of the building is copper with a wide overhang. A tremendous amount of work was involved “in getting the building to look as it did before we started,” said
