Magnolia Hotel (Houston Post-Dispatch Building)

Significance

Built in 1926 as the Houston Post-Dispatch Building, headquarters of the Houston Post-Dispatch newspaper, this 22 story tower was the tallest building in Houston until the following year, when the Niels Esperson Building surpassed it. It was designed by the Texas firm Sanguinet, Staats, Hedrick & Gottlieb, which also designed many early skyscrapers across the state. In 1932 it was renamed the Shell Building when it became a regional operations headquarters for the Shell Petroleum Corporation, a predecessor of Shell Oil Company, reflecting Houston's rise as an oil capital. After decades as offices, the building was converted into the Magnolia Hotel, which opened in 2003. Its reuse is an example of how downtown's early 20th century office towers have found new life as hotels and residences.

Climate risks tracked

At 22 stories, the tower is exposed to strong hurricane winds at its upper floors and cornice, where decorative elements and windows face the highest pressures. Hurricane Ike in 2008 broke windows in several downtown towers, a reminder that historic window replacements and upgrades should match the original design while meeting modern wind resistance standards. At street level, the building sits in the downtown core near Buffalo Bayou, where Tropical Storm Allison flooded basements and tunnels in 2001. For an operating hotel, protecting below grade mechanical rooms, electrical service and elevators is critical to recovery after a flood, and deployable barriers at entrances protect the historic ground floor without permanent alterations.

Use the preservation assistant to talk through retrofit strategies for these specific threats.

Location

Nearby landmarks

• 1913 · Beaux-Arts

  Rice Hotel

• 1926 · Spanish Renaissance Revival

  Julia Ideson Building

• 1927 · Italian Renaissance Revival

  Niels Esperson Building

• 1924 · Commercial / Chicago School

  Sam Houston Hotel