Niels Esperson Building

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• The tallest building in Texas when built, the Niels Esperson Building was designed in an Italian Renaissance style. It features a gold-leaf tower topped by an elaborate six-story tiered monument. In the interior can be found terra cotta urns, bronze elevator doors, arabesque obelisks, and extensive use of imported Roman marble.
• The original design included an adjacent parking garage. Air conditioning was added in 1938.
• Melli Keenan-Esperson built the 32-story Niels Esperson Building as a memorial to her husband, a Danish-born real estate and minerals speculator.
• This building won the 2003-2004 Building of the Year Award in the historical category from the Building Owners and Managers Association.
• The Niels and Mellie Esperson Buildings contain 570,044 square feet combined.
• In 1939 Mrs. Esperson had Eberson and his son Drew add a 19-story annex to the Niels Esperson Building, which she named the Mellie Esperson Building.