Fall 2021
Umbrella City
Revival of a lost cultural center in downtown Houston, TX.
Initial research into the history of the Coliseum.
Context for the Coliseum's location on a map of downtown, with different views of the building.
Collage showing the energy that the Coliseum brought to Houston.
Site analysis of the present day Hobby Center that replaced the Coliseum.
Research into the fragmentation Houston now sees in its event centers. 801 Bagby St. used to house a structure with a wide range of events open for everyone, but now it holds events only of interest to a select group of people, and with the price tag to match. This general fragmentation has lead Houston to become an umbrella term for many cities within its limits.
Collage of what I felt after my site visit.
Umbrella City stands as a response to the loss of a cultural center for the city of Houston, a community space of equal access, a multi-use environment, where people are not rushed around or charged money for wanting to exist and participate in the space.
The roof structure responds to the population densities of inner-city Houston within the 610 loop.
Interior visualization of the space. The columns of the Coliseum are revived/recreated so that the new Houston rests on a foundation of its past instead of burying it.
Distance visualization of the structure
