El Paso Energy Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kinder Morgan Building |
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 1001 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas |
| Coordinates | 29°45′28″N 95°22′03″W / 29.7579°N 95.3674°W |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Owner | Kinder Morgan |
| Height | |
| Roof | 502 ft (153 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 32 |
| Lifts/elevators | 15+ |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP |
The Kinder Morgan Building is a very tall office building in Houston, Texas. It stands about 502 feet (153 meters) high. This building was finished in 1963 and has 33 floors. It was first known as the Tenneco Building. It is one of the tallest buildings in Houston.
The building's design is quite special. Because of how the streets are laid out in downtown Houston, all four sides of the building get sunlight. To help control heat and glare from the sun, the windows are set back from the building's frame. The building's base is a perfect square. The architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, even won an award for their design in 1969. When it first opened, you had to take an elevator or escalator to reach the main lobby, as it was raised above street level. The first five floors were a large, open glass area. In 1984, some drive-through bank kiosks were replaced with fountains.
Building History
Early Years and Changes
In 2001, the fountains outside the building were updated. In 1996, when the El Paso Corporation bought Tenneco, a very long stock ticker was added. This ticker showed messages and made the building look even more interesting. When Tenneco owned the building, the letters T-E-N-N-E-C-O were lit up around the top on all four sides.
Modern Updates
Starting in 2008, a company called Gilbain Construction began a big remodel of the building. This work was finished in 2012. Now, the main lobby is on Level 1. You can enter from Louisiana Street or Travis Street. Level 2 has many conference rooms for meetings. Floors 3 through 29 are used as office spaces. The top floors, Levels 30, 31, and 32, are for the executive offices. These executive floors have a grand three-story staircase, a large boardroom, and many spacious offices and meeting areas.
New Ownership
In 2012, Kinder Morgan bought the building when they acquired El Paso Corporation. Kinder Morgan then moved its main offices into this building. Another company, EP Energy (which used to be part of El Paso Corporation), now rents floors 18 through 27 from Kinder Morgan.
