Mellie Esperson Building vs Houston City Hall


Comparing the Mellie Esperson Building and the Houston City Hall is interesting because they both stand in Houston, TX, and were completed within 2 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.
This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.
Height & Size
The Mellie Esperson Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 272ft (83m) with 19 floors above ground, while the Houston City Hall reaches 0ft (m) with 17 floors above ground.
Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.
Architectural Style
Both the Mellie Esperson Building and the Houston City Hall were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.
Both buildings were completed when the Art Deco style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.
Uses
The Mellie Esperson Building is primarily commercial, while the Houston City Hall is primarily governmental.
Structure & Facade
These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.
Mellie Esperson Building | Houston City Hall | |
---|---|---|
John Eberson | Architect | Joseph Finger |
1939 | Construction Started | 1938 |
1941 | Year Completed | 1939 |
Art Deco | Architectural Style | Art Deco |
Commercial | Current Use | Governmental |
19 | Floors Above Ground | 17 |
TX | State | TX |
Houston | City | Houston |
815 Walker Street | Address | 901 Bagby |