Houston Preserves No Love for Modernist Masterwork

HOUSTON—Houston's lack of nostalgia for historic buildings went on vivid display Sunday when a 60-year-old office tower once considered a masterwork of modern architecture was demolished.

Originally the Prudential Insurance Co.'s regional offices, the sleek, 20-story limestone and granite tower was owned by MD Anderson Cancer Center. Cracks in the foundation were too costly to repair, officials said, so the building was razed to make way for a new clinic.

The tower, designed by Kenneth Franzheim, was once Houston's tallest building outside of downtown. The lobby's 16-by-46-foot fresco by Peter Hurd, ...

Copyright 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit

www.djreprints.com

Available to WSJ.com Subscribers

  • Hong Kong Freezes Megaupload Assets

    Hong Kong Customs froze more than US$39 million in assets held by shuttered file-sharing site Megaupload.com.

  • Greek Talks Fail To Clinch Debt Deal

    Talks between Greece and its private-sector creditors over a debt-restructuring deal will continue Saturday, the country's finance minister said after marathon negotiations Friday failed to reach a consensus.