LBJ Monument Planned for Downtown Houston: What to Know
LBJ rendering by Chas Fagan
HOUSTON – A new fundraising effort has launched, backed initially by a $250,000 grant from the Brown Foundation, to build an 8-foot statue and monument honoring President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
The proposed monument will sit within a small park called Little Tranquility Park, occupying a downtown block bounded by Capitol, Walker, Bagby and Smith streets.
Located near existing monuments to President George H.W. Bush and James A. Baker, the site is beginning to form a walkable historic corridor, said CK Pang, the former Gensler architect leading the LBJ monument design.
A native Texan, President Johnson is widely credited with helping secure NASA’s presence in Houston, a legacy tied closely to the city’s identity.
“Great cities are defined by meaningful public art, including works that honor important local historical figures,” said Charles C. Foster, co-chair of the LBJ Presidential Monument Advisory Board. “The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Monument will complement the George Bush Presidential Monument. Both monuments face Bagby Street, which city plans envision as a major thoroughfare with improved walking and bicycle lanes and enhanced landscaping.”
Further south, toward City Hall, the Robert Mosbacher Memorial Bridge connects the Bush and Baker monuments and represents the area’s most recent addition. Dedicated in 2016, that monument honors the late Robert A. Mosbacher Sr., former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Artist Willy Wang created the bas-reliefs for both the Bush and Mosbacher monuments.
“We look forward to presenting this vision alongside Charles and linking these historic narratives and monuments so they can be experienced by Houston residents and visitors for generations to come,” said CK Pang, retired Principal of Gensler’s Houston office. “The historic elements are already in place; creating a walkable, designated route will allow visitors to discover and learn about Houston’s rich history.” Pang, who served as Design Principal for the Bush, Baker and Mosbacher projects, will continue to lead the design for the LBJ monument.
