A city’s towers can define its place in the world, producing a skyline that reveals a city’s identity almost instantly. But today, the community rarely has access to those towers and the bird’s eye views they provide. Observation decks have closed or limited tenant access only due to increasing security concerns.
ArCH’s Soar to High Heights tour series invites the community to explore our local skyscrapers’ history, architecture, and access to the top. We will explore iconic and recently completed skyscrapers in Houston’s skyline.
Featured Location
Brava
2022, Munoz + Albin
Located on the former Houston Chronicle site, Brava is a 46-story luxury apartment tower making it the tallest multifamily high-rise in downtown Houston. It features panoramic views of the Central Business District, Market Square Park, Sesquicentennial Park, and Buffalo Bayou.
Brava is placed at a 45-degree angle on the site, which allows for uninterrupted views and maximizing natural light to all residents. The entrance is angled towards Market Square Park, creating a nice relationship. The building’s massing takes the shape of a ‘glass sail,’ a nod to Houston being a port city, twisting and giving the illusion of being unusually slender. The building amenities include collaborative workspace, lounge areas, demonstration kitchen, aqua lounge, fitness room, and swimming pool.
The common space interiors, designed by MaRS, pay homage to the former Houston Chronicle building, by subtly incorporating the physical presence of a newspaper, from the consistent use of black and white materials. Houston-based artist Robynn Sanders, with Maverick Murals art and Design completed MaRS’s vision in incorporating concrete columns into the building’s lobby, which tell a story of Houston’s milestone events as recorded across the Houston Chronicle headlines from the 1920s into the 2000s.
Join us for a tour of The Brava with developer Hines and design architect Munoz + Albin.
Design Team
Developer: Hines, Cresset Wealth Advisors, and Levy Family Partners
Design Architect: Munoz + Albin
Architect of Record: House+Partners and Kirksey Architecture
Interiors: MaRS
AIA Credit: Pending Approval
