Houston is a city that is known for its location, its humid
weather and the diversity in its growing population. It is a city that is
constantly moving and although there is a lot to see at ground level, there is still
more to see lying below the city. If you go 20 feet underground you will find a
system of tunnels that spreads over 95 blocks. The tunnel system in downtown
Houston is the largest underground walkaway in the world and it is where you
can find different shops and restaurants. It provides a comfortable way of
moving around in an air-conditioned area.
These passageways link buildings to the Theater District;
hotels; banks; and many other buildings and areas of the city. The first link
began in 1930 when Ross Sterling decided to link two buildings he owned. Sterling
was inspired by the Art Deco style of the shops at the Rockefeller Plaza in New
York. Following his example 5 years later, Will Horwitz connected 3 of his
theaters to save on air conditioning. The construction of the tunnels began
during the Great Depression and it has continued since then. The tunnels were
first opened to the public in 1961 when a connection was made between the Bank
of Southwest, a nearby parking garage, and the Mellie Esperson building. During
this time there was a construction boom that lasted until the 70’s and many new
connections were built. As new buildings appeared, new connections were
constructed. The design of the tunnels below is influenced by the architecture
of the buildings above. This helps differentiate under which building you may
be walking by.
Though not all passageways need this type of identification through the change in design to notify one of their location. The tunnel
system also includes skywalks. Although these are not attached to the actual
tunnels underground, they help connect buildings above the streets. One of the
most singular skywalks is the circular skywalk that connects the Enron Center
Chevron buildings. There is a series of skywalks in the St. Joseph Medical
Center facilitate access between the buildings it connects. Other skywalks
include some at the Houston Public Library and the Toyota Center.
The question now
becomes, how do you enter the tunnels? While most entrances are located inside
the lobbies of different buildings, some are closed to the general public. There
are only two entrances that lead to the tunnels from the street. One of them is
located at the Wells Fargo Plaza on Louisiana Street; the other is located at
the McKinney garage on Main. Other entrances include the lobby at the Hyatt
Hotel also on Louisiana Street and the Bob Lanier Public Works building.
The main purpose of the tunnels is to link the city from all
levels. The Houston tunnel system helps people to move around the city in an
efficient way. Although we may not be able to see them, these connections have
become imperative to the city’s circulation and flow of pedestrians. As Houston grows in the next few decades, these
underground circulation zones will become more effective and frequented by
Houstonians.
Refrences
Houston Historical Tours. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23,
2015, from http://www.houstonhistoricaltours.com/houstontunnelstours.html
Wells Fargo Plaza (Houston). (n.d.). Retrieved February 23,
2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Fargo_Plaza_(Houston)
Downtown Houston. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.downtownhouston.org/district/downtown-tunnels/
Downtown Tunnel System. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015,
from http://www.houstontx.gov/abouthouston/Downtown-Tunnel-System
Houston tunnel system. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_tunnel_system
Lord, S. (n.d.). Houston's underground secret unveiled -
Houston Business Journal. Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/09/09/houstons-underground-secret-unveiled.html?page=all
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON TUNNEL SYSTEM. (n.d.). Retrieved February
23, 2015, from http://www.discoverhoustontours.com/?page_id=214
Schultz, K. (n.d.). The Writing Life: 85,000 Houstonians
Underground. Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://www.kateyschultz.com/2011/09/85000-houstonians-underground.html
Newspaper: http://offcite.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2010/03/TheTowerAndTunnels_Stern_Cite61.pdf
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