I got back from Marfa last night after a short visit to celebrate the formal opening of the Hotel Saint George. By some coincidence, the day before I left I received a copy of the July/August Texas Architect (delivered to my office at Rice). I was able to read Jack Murphy’s article “55 New Ways of Looking At Marfa” on the journey, and more calmly once I got there.
I am very impressed by the depth of journalism and insight that you and Mr. Murphy gave to our hotel project. I love the cinematic title given to the article and the attention to/inclusivity of all participants. I was delighted to find Paul Hester’s pictures, as I thought Casey Dunn’s were the ones that you were using primarily for the piece. Either way, they tell their own story.
Lastly, your Russian references at the end of the article were most welcome, as I am an avid and loyal follower of Andrei Tarkovsky’s work. In fact, I examine his films in detail with my students in a seminar I teach at Rice every spring (“Constructing images: case studies in architecture, film, literature, and music”).
All best, and thanks again for the depth and care that you invested in telling our story.
Carlos Jiménez
Professor, Rice University School of Architecture, Houston
I really liked your article about your recently renovated house (“My House,” TA, May/June 2016). So much of our practice has been an investment in making the forgotten relevant again, so it spoke to me.
On that note, I wanted to inform you about a project that we have been working on for several years here in Tyler. Developing public/private partnerships, we have jumped heart-first into the revitalization of our downtown, starting with a primary catalyst — The People’s Petroleum Building. It was less than 10 percent occupied at the time we began. Now it’s over 90 percent occupied. Part of the success story is the establishment of a high-end restaurant in the previous 1940s-era bank lobby. The transformation story of the building is fascinating, and we would love to tell you more about it. The lighting was all custom designed to recall the imagery of the past with today’s technology. It has brought so much life and energy to the building and has taken the building occupancy to an all-time high.
We are currently in the process of modeling our entire downtown core to help cast a vision for the future, to continue developing public/private partnerships, and to keep the momentum going. So stay tuned!
Brandy Ziegler, AIA
Fitzpatrick Architects, Tyler
Send letters to the editor to aaron@texasarchitects.org.