Historic Medical Towers in Texas Medical Center to Become Hotel
Rendering, circa 1950, shows original vision for the Medical Towers building in Houston’s Texas Medical Center.
HOUSTON – The historic Medical Towers building in the Texas Medical Center is being transformed into the 273-room Westin Houston Medical Center hotel.
Pearl Hospitality of Houston is redeveloping the 18-story structure, originally opened in 1954 at 1709 Dryden Road between Main and Fannin streets.
This mid-century modernist landmark sits across the street from Houston Methodist and Texas Children’s Hospital and will retain its prominence in the medical center district.
One of the first medical office buildings in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, Medical Towers was designed by Goleman & Rolfe with consulting from Pritzker Prize-winning architect Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Bunshaft, inspired by his famed Lever House in New York, helped shape the tower into an emblem of International Style architecture.
Pearl Hospitality recently restored the 1910-era S.F. Carter Building into the JW Marriott Houston Downtown and brings that same adaptive-reuse approach to the Medical Towers project.
William R. Franks
“Rather than facing demolition like many similar buildings, this underused historic tower will be repurposed as the new Westin Houston Medical Center,” said William R. Franks, a member of Pearl Hospitality’s development team. “Built in 1954 as the Texas Medical Center itself was taking shape, the tower remains a meaningful piece of the district’s history. Preserving and adapting it as the area grows maintains cultural value and contributes to the city’s character.”
The hotel is scheduled to open in early 2020.
The approximately 382,000-square-foot redevelopment is positioned to serve the more than 15 million annual visitors to the Texas Medical Center and the nearby Museum District. The site sits on the METRO light rail line that links downtown Houston with the Astrodome and surrounding neighborhoods.
The project team includes BRR Architects as project architect; Baskervill as interior design architect; MBCM Incorporated as design consultant; Collaborative Engineering Group as project engineer; Henderson Rogers as structural engineer; and Texas HRE Construction as general contractor.
Rendering of reception area at new Westin, slated to open in 2020.
Planned amenities include two outdoor terraces overlooking Rice University’s tree canopy, a dramatic pool terrace, a fitness and wellness center, a full-service restaurant and bar with outdoor seating, and a café. The street level will be activated with an urban landscape and pedestrian promenade featuring sidewalk cafés, dining terraces and shaded walkways that will support new restaurants and retail offerings.
“The hotel is designed to deliver lifestyle-driven experiences tailored to the distinct mix of visitors drawn by Rice University, the Texas Medical Center, and Houston’s nationally recognized Museum District,” said Archit Sanghvi, Vice President of Operations for Pearl Hospitality. “Thoughtfully designed guest rooms, meeting spaces and amenities will create environments that support guests’ well-being.”
The Westin will offer more than 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting space across 10 event rooms, serving brides, corporate planners, medical conferences and gala organizers. A striking 8,000-square-foot ballroom with pre-function space will accommodate over 600 guests and can be divided into three separate rooms for smaller gatherings that hold up to 200 guests each. The hotel will include 26 suites: extended-stay king suites, king-room suites, double-queen suites, an 800-square-foot Junior Presidential suite and a 1,200-square-foot Presidential suite.
“We are proud to support Houston’s world-class medical services by restoring Medical Towers into a premier destination while honoring its historical legacy,” said Brenda Bazan, president and CEO of Houston First Corporation, the city’s official destination marketing organization.
