| El Paso Energy Building | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 1010 Milam Street, Houston, Texas |
| Coordinates | |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 502 ft (153 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 33 |
| Design and construction | |
| Owner | El Paso Energy Corporation |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP |
The El Paso Energy Building is a 502-foot (153 m) tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1963 and has 33 floors. It was originally known as the Tenneco Building. It is the 28th tallest building in the city. Because of downtown Houston's diagonal street grid, all four sides of the building are exposed to the sun. The windows are recessed from the frame to control heat and glare from the sun. The footprint of the building is an exact square. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, the architects of the building, were recognized with an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1969. An elevator or an escalator are required to get to the main lobby of the building because it is raised above the street level. the first 5 floors of the building open to make a huge glass-enclosed space. A number of drive-through bank kiosks along Louisiana Street were replaced with fountains in 1984. In 2001 the fountains were refurbished. A very long stock ticker was installed to deliver messages and add to the visual appeal. in 1996 when the El Paso Corporation bought Tenneco for 4 billion dollars. When Tenneco owned the building the letters T-E-N-N-E-C-O outlined the top of the building on each of the four sides.