Creating a dramatic presence for the lobby of Energy Center III
Persian Red polished travertine in varying thicknesses gives a unique and stunning look to the lobby of the Energy Center III, which can be seen from a Houston Interstate.
Located in Houston, TX, Energy Corridor, Energy Center III is a 546,000-square-foot, 20-story, Class A office building with a lobby visible to those driving west on Interstate 10 in Houston, TX. As a result, architect Scott Cutlip, vice president of Kirksey Architects in Houston, wanted the 30-foot-tall lobby to have a stone wall, as well as a dramatic presence at night.
“We specified a ‘cable net’ curtain wall system on the wall opposite the stone,” he said. “This created clear views of the stone from the exterior — views unhindered by heavy mullions and structure. We also wanted the feature stone wall to have a heavy texture, something that would create shadows when grazed with light from the top and bottom. This led us to vary the thickness of the stone to create pieces that push in and out along the face of the wall.”
For the feature walls, which would serve as the dramatic backdrop for the lobby, a polished Persian Red travertine was used, supplied from Henraux in Querceta, Italy. The project called for 6,700 square feet of 3-, 5- and 7-cm-thick pieces. “The rest of the stone in the lobby, the limestone floor and marble accents, were selected to complement the red feature wall stone,” said Cutlip. “The stone was also selected on the basis of performance and durability. Flamed black granite was specified for the exterior flatwork, with some of this extending past the cable net curtain wall to the interior and helping to blend the outside with the inside.”
On the lobby walls and floors, 1,620 square feet of 2 cm polished Arabescato Oro marble was employed. Also on the walls are 2,500 square feet of 2 cm polished Calacatta Cervaiole marble, while on the floors 7,100 square feet of 2 cm honed Gascogne Beige limestone is used, all of it supplied by Henraux. “The client was familiar with the red travertine from a previous project, but was unable to use it because the color did not fit with the base building tenants branding,” explained Cutlip. “The client liked the red travertine and wanted to use it again. The red travertine worked well with what we were trying to accomplish in terms of dramatic views from the freeway as well as inside the lobby.”
The entire construction for the project was about two years, but the stone installation was completed in about four months. “The project has been praised by everyone who has had an opportunity to see it,” said LaRicci. “Energy Center III has received multiple awards for the stone installation, including: Marble Institute of America’s Pinnacle Award of Excellence, Associated Builders and Contractors Houston Chapter EIC Merit Award, Associated Builders and Contractors National EIC Pyramid Award, Coverings Installation & Design Award in Commercial Stone category and the Associated General Contractors of Houston APEX Award – Silver.”