Humble Oil Building, building in Houston, Harris County, Texas
The Humble Oil Building is an office structure in Houston built in 1921, combining Renaissance Revival and Mediterranean Revival architectural styles. The complex consists of multiple sections: the original nine-story structure was expanded in 1936 with a 17-story tower, and today spans more than 500,000 square feet with arches, columns, and decorative stonework throughout.
The building was designed in 1921 by architects Clinton and Russell and was Houston's largest office building at the time. In 1932 it received the first air conditioning system installed in any Houston office building, marking a major step forward in comfort and technology.
The building takes its name from Humble Oil, the company that commissioned it and operated from here for decades. Today visitors, hotel guests, and workers move through the building daily, showing how it evolved from a corporate headquarters into a living, mixed-use space where people gather and work.
The building stands at the corner of Main and Dallas Streets in downtown Houston and is easily accessible on foot. It now houses a hotel, apartments, and ground-level retail spaces, giving visitors multiple reasons to stop by or step inside.
In 1932 the building received Houston's first air conditioning system installed in any office building, a technological innovation that revolutionized workplace comfort. This groundbreaking installation set the example for other business complexes throughout the city.
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