One Shell Plaza, Modernist skyscraper in Downtown Houston, United States.
One Shell Plaza is a 50-story skyscraper in downtown Houston that reaches 218 meters high. Its concrete exterior features undulating columns that rise continuously from ground level to the roof, creating a distinctive wave-like pattern across the facade.
The building was completed in 1971 as the first all-lightweight concrete skyscraper of its kind. Its construction introduced the tube-in-tube structural technique, a method that became widely adopted in tall building design after this project.
The building shows corporate architecture from the 1970s with clean lines and a focus on showing the structure rather than decoration. It reflects how businesses at that time valued efficiency and straightforward design.
The tower sits on Louisiana Street in downtown Houston and is easily reached by public transportation. Keep in mind this is a working office building, so interior access may be limited to lobby areas or scheduled tours only.
The building rests on a special foundation system designed specifically for Houston's mixed soil composition. This engineering solution was necessary to ensure stability in an area where the ground contains layers of sand, silt, and clay that shift and settle unpredictably.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
