Image: The Kress building -- Houston, Texas

Description: The eight-story building is covered almost entirely in terra cotta. A 1983 renovation removed the Kress signage and other architectural features of its retail past, but the building retains the character of a 1913 skyscraper, one of several built in downtown Houston at the time. This S. H. Kress & Co. building was one of the largest the company built, and one of the few to incorporate professional offices. This outpost of the S.H. Kress & Co. five-and-dime, sitting at what was once the head of Houston’s primary retail district, was designed by Kress staff architect Seymour Burrell in 1913. The building was renovated as the St. Germain Lofts. Although Houston’s second Kress store followed the general pattern of the chain at the time, it was still unusual. The typical Kress store contained room enough for retail space and offices on the upper floors. The Houston location was eight stories – enough room for retail on the first 3½ floors, Kress’s offices above, and four floors of office space for lease. The store had two facades, one facing Main, the other facing Capitol. Like most early high-rises, this building emphasized its verticality, with a two-story base, a five-story shaft, and a single story crown. The reinforced concrete frame is sheathed in terra cotta, scored to simulate stone. Kress stores always had colorful ornamentation, and this store was no exception.
Title: The Kress building -- Houston, Texas
Credit: Own work
Author: Jim Evans
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes