City National Bank Building - Houston, Texas
Posted by: 
JimmyEv
N 29° 45.408 W 095° 21.862
15R E 271375 N 3294179
This building’s Art Deco detailing may suggest that it was built in the 1930s. But it wasn’t. Alfred C. Finn, always conservative, choose Art Deco for Houston’s first major post-World War II office building in 1947.
Waymark Code: WM1PDZ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/16/2007
Views: 64
Its front facade spreads massively along the block, but the sides are narrow, creating a short, stubby building with wonderful Art Deco detailing, including bees (the symbol of City National Bank) above the windows and aluminum flourishes. Alfred C. Finn, the architect, began his career with the Fort Worth firm of Saginuet and Staats, pioneers of the Texas skyscraper. Finn tended towards conservative design, not embracing Art Deco until the mid-1930s, and never venturing into the most popular post-World War II design, international style.
City National Bank was founded in the 1920s by Judge James A. Elkins. The bank grew with Houston’s oil and gas industry, managing to swallow First National Bank - at the time twice as large as City National - in 1956, becoming First City Bank. During the 1970s and 80s, the bank grew exponentially with the booming oil and gas industry. As a marker of its new growth, the bank designed a new headquarters in 1981, the First City Tower, vacating its Art Deco home.
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