Melrose Building

Significance

Completed in 1952, the Melrose Building is recognized as Houston's first modern skyscraper in the International Style, marking the city's architectural shift away from the ornamented towers of the prewar era. It was designed by the Houston firm Lloyd & Morgan, which later helped design the Astrodome. The tower's clean grid of windows and unornamented curtain wall expressed the postwar corporate modernism that would dominate downtown Houston's later boom. After a period of decline and vacancy, the building was restored and converted to a Le Meridien hotel, reopening in 2017. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an early and intact example of modernist commercial design in Texas.

Climate risks tracked

Mid-century curtain walls with single pane glass are highly vulnerable to hurricane windborne debris; Hurricane Ike's damage to downtown glass towers in 2008 shows the risk. Upgrading to laminated or impact rated glazing that matches the original sightlines preserves the modernist facade while improving resilience. The original curtain wall also performs poorly in Houston's heat, driving high cooling loads; interior storm glazing or careful replacement with thermally broken units can cut energy use. At street level, the downtown location faces flash flood risk, so lobby level protections and elevated electrical service matter for an operating hotel.

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