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Downtown Houston's Mayan Temple

Downtown Houston's Mayan Temple

Commercial News » Cool Property | By Cool Property Team | October 4, 2013 3:30 PM ET



The top of the Heritage Plaza tower resembles a Mayan temple, making it one of Houston's most distinctive skyscrapers.  

Built in 1987, the 1.15 million-square-foot tower stands at 762 feet, the fifth highest building in Houston. Architect Mohammed Nasr reportedly was inspired by a trip to the Yucatan, which led him to turn the top of the building into granite stepping stones to honor the Mayan temples he'd seen on his vacation.

To Maya enthusiasts, it most closely resembles El Castillo, the most dominant structure in Chichen Itza. And it certainly looks like nothing else on the Houston skyline.

As an added twist, the top of the building also features the shape of an spread-winged eagle, if the light is right.

The building once housed the headquarters of the Texaco oil company, before the company was absorbed into Chevron.

Today the building is for sale. Owner Brookfield Office Properties reportedly put the property on the market, with prices expected to reach as high as $480 million, according to Culture Map Houston. Top-tier investors can either acquire full ownership or a 49 percent stake in the building.

Brookfield purchased the building in 2010 from Goddard Investment for $321.5 million. The building's occupancy reportedly jumped from 84 percent to 98 percent under Brookfield's ownership.

Last week Brookfield Property Partners announced plans to buy out the portion of Brookfield Office Properties it doesn't already own for $5 billion.


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