Discovery Green

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Discovery Green
Type	Municipal (Houston, Texas)
Location	Downtown Houston
Coordinates	29°45′9″N, 95°21′31″W
Size	11.78 acres
Opened	2008
Operated by	Discovery Park Conservatory
Status	Open

Discovery Green is a public park in downtown Houston, Texas. Opened in 2008, Discovery Green’s 11.78 acre site is located on Avenida de las Americas across from the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas Hotel, adjacent to Toyota Center. The park includes a lake, bandstands and venues for public performances, a children's area and multiple recreational areas. ^[1]

Recreational features of the park include:

Jones Lawn - a two-acre grass lawn for lounging, offering views of the skyline
The Brown Foundation Promenade - a shaded walkway, lined with 100-year-old live oak trees
Wortham Foundation Gardens - an acre of flowering trees, plants, fountains and works of art
Kinder Lake - a one-acre lake lined with native wetland plants
The Natural Gardens - wetland and upland gardens extending the length of the park
The Landforms - several sculpted knolls and grassy swells that highlight views of downtown Houston
McNair Foundation Jogging Trail - tree-shaded promenades on which to stroll to the lake and children’s area
Maconda's Grove - where you can play bocce on the Carruth Foundation Bocce Courts
The John P. McGovern Playground
Hagstette Putting Green
Two Dog Runs - one for large dogs and another for smaller dogs with seating areas for their masters
Approximately 630-car underground parking garage.

The Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group, best known as the creators of Cafe Annie, operates two restaurants on site. The Grove will serve lunch and dinner in a "signature restaurant" setting, while The Lake House will offer family-friendly casual fare. ^[2] The group is known for Cafe Annie, a local Houston restaurant.

Jones Lawn	The Brown Foundation Promenade	Wortham Foundation Gardens	Kinder Lake
The Lake House Waterside Cafe	Carruth Foundation Bocce Courts in Maconda's Grove	Gateway Fountain	Kinder Large Dog Run Photos by Paul Duron

1 Public Art
2 Planned Events and Uses
3 See also
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] Public Art

"Monument au Fantóme" : A piece of artwork by Jean Dubuffet donated by Dan Duncan was moved from 1100 Louisiana in downtown Houston in October of 2007 after some restoration. The estimated value of this sculpture is $1 million, including restoration. It was created between 1969 and 1971 as part of the Hourloupe series.^[3]

Synchronicity of Color : Nationally acclaimed artist Margo Sawyer’s installation graces both exits of the underground garage, with accents at The Grove and The Lake House. The 151 panels hold 1,500 aluminum boxes in 65 colors. The paint on these boxes is also used in under water applications for oil rigs and was gifted by International Paint LLC. Some elements are kamelion car paint color and also Dicroic film, a new technology and application.

Listening Vessels : Sculptor Doug Hollis’ Listening Vessels, a gift from Maconda Brown O’Connor, sits in the midst of the Urban Gardens, an ideal setting for these serene and graceful pieces. The two parabolas, cut from solid limestone and spaced 60 feet (18 m) apart, epitomize Hollis’ desire to call attention to events that are taken for granted, such as conversation. Visitors are intended to come across the vessels and gain an understanding of their function as they realize they can hear the words of another person speaking at a normal volume, a great distance away.

Mist Tree : Hollis also created the Mist Tree, a gift from Fayez Sarofirm, located next to the playground. The Mist Tree is a 15-foot (4.6 m)-high-by-22-foot-wide stainless steel structure that is sited to attract people to the park. Visible from beyond the park’s boundaries, the rain curtain and mist streams generated by the tree will entice children and adults to refresh themselves in its delightful shower.

"Monument AU Fantome", All photos by Paul Duron

Synchronicity of Color

Listening Vessels

Mist Tree

[edit] Planned Events and Uses

The park plans to host a health fair on Juneteenth and an Asian festival. A farmer's market will serve a demand for locally produced food. On weekends, families can visit the park, put their pets in one of two dog runs and watch their kids play on the playground while they discard their newspapers and cans into recycling bins.^[4]