University of St. Thomas dedicates Philip Johnson monument
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007Have you taken a trip to the Edward P. White Memorial Plaza since Mayor White, Houston Chronicle Publisher Jack Sweeney and University of St. Thomas President Robert Ivany unveiled the new monument? It’s one of Philip Johnson’s last creative designs and is intended as a gateway to the museum district.
The University of St. Thomas has been improving the campus landscape, and this plaza and monument is one of the last projects. According the the university’s description
The Johnson landmark consists of a granite-clad reinforced concrete structure with a studded cross attached at the same angle of repose as the cross in the west wall of the Chapel of St. Basil. The black granite monument, also called a stele, which stands about 36-feet tall and 14-feet wide, alludes to the black granite plane that bisects the campus Chapel. The white granite plaza around the landmark is made of the same material as the plaza in front of the Chapel. Additionally, the landmark has a 17- x 32-foot reflecting pool tiled with a blue glass tile. A water wall, standing 6-feet in height, is erected on the plaza’s west side. The water cascades behind a set of aluminum letters that spell out “University of St. Thomas.”
Architect Johnson also designed the Chapel of St. Basil, as well as the main campus mall and academic mall at the University of Saint Thomas, the John de Menil House, the Bank of America Center (formerly Republic Bank Center), Williams Tower (formerly Transco Tower), and The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, University of Houston.
The new Philip Johnson landmark:
The Chapel of St. Basil:
University of St Thomas, Philip Johnson, Chapel of St Basil, Edward P. White Memorial Plaza
