O. T. Bassett Tower, Art Deco skyscraper in Downtown El Paso, United States
The O. T. Bassett Tower is a 15-story building in downtown El Paso, clad in tan brick with decorative stone accents along its facades. It stands on Texas Avenue and displays the hallmarks of Moderne architecture through its ornamental details and clean vertical lines.
The tower was completed in 1930 by the firm Trost & Trost and briefly held the title of the tallest building in El Paso. It was surpassed that same year by the Hilton Hotel, showing how fast the city's skyline was changing at the time.
The southern entrance of the building features a carved portrait relief that is believed to represent architect Henry Trost. This small detail shows how European design ideas made their way into El Paso's built fabric and can still be seen today.
The building is easy to reach on foot from Texas Avenue in downtown El Paso, where other points of interest are close by. It is currently being converted into a hotel, so access may be limited and it is worth checking the situation before visiting.
The tower was designed and built at the same time as the Luhrs Tower in Phoenix, a building in a similar style by the same firm. Both projects were carried out in two different cities at once, which was unusual for a single office of that size.
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