The former Texas State Hotel, designed by Joseph Finger and completed in 1929, has found new life as the 17-story, 400-room Club Quarters Hotel in downtown Houston. Many areas of the 173,368-square-foot building needed to be structurally rehabilitated, and the interior of the building was almost completely gutted, including all MEP systems, duct work, wiring, lighting, cast iron fixtures, and plaster walls.
The existing main lobby of the hotel was restored, as was grand staircase which extends from the basement to the third level. The original encaustic ceramic floor tiles in the lobby were carefully cleaned and preserved, and the wall paint colors were selected to closely match the colors in the tiles. Base and frame moldings of doors and elevators in the lobby were also replicated. Designers specified contemporary materials to help duplicate historic building materials, both inside and out. Extensive repair was required for the cast stone friezes near the top of the building which had suffered from the corrosion of the structural supports. The existing 1960’s style aluminum and glass storefront along Fannin Street and Rusk Avenue was removed and replaced with a new granite and glass façade that met the approval of the City of Houston Historical Committee.
The hotel was originally one the first fully air conditioned hotels in Houston. Equipment was located throughout the facility, taking up valuable lease space. MEP systems designed by Page integrated into the existing building fabric, met current codes and standards, and are modern, easily maintainable and energy efficient. In the process almost one floor plate worth of leasable space previously occupied by MEP equipment was recovered. The energy profile of the facility was reduced by eliminating, reducing or displacing HVAC air handling systems, chillers, pumps, cooling towers and storage tanks. All HVAC equipment is centrally located with appropriate access. Energy savings on the order of 25% were achieved as compared to other similar facilities in downtown Houston.
In 2015, Page was commissioned to update guest rooms throughout the hotel.
