Southwestern Bell Building

Sweeping across an entire city block, the Southwestern Bell Building whispers tales of innovation and expansion. This isn’t just one building. The Southwestern Bell complex is a functionally-related marvel with two distinct structures. Here at 1121 Capitol Street, we see the original 1912 Commercial Style Main Office. It began its life as the Preston Central Office. Across the block, at 1114 Texas Avenue, stands the 1950 Late Moderne Style addition. These two buildings, joined internally at the rear, form an unusual configuration. Most people assume they’re unrelated due to their different styles and locations on the block. The 1912 building occupies the southeast corner, while the 1950 building nestles between other structures on the north side. The Southwestern Bell Building’s architecture reflects the prevailing styles of their respective construction eras. The older section, originally a seven-story Beaux Arts brick skyscraper, underwent a series of expansions. In 1926, a two-story westward addition appeared. By 1938, another two stories, crowned by a penthouse, graced the original structure. Six floors were added to the west wing. The building has impressively retained its original exterior materials, detailing, and massing. Only the windows, replaced with glass block or louvered vents, mark a significant change. Inside, although not generally accessible to the public, you can imagine the preserved elegance of the original first-floor elevator lobby. Picture the granite steps and gleaming chrome handrails. The rest of the building houses the complex machinery of communication: switching equipment, cabling, and computers. The 1950 addition of the Southwestern Bell Building faces north onto Texas Avenue. This narrow, sixteen-story skyscraper, clad in buff brick and topped with a mechanical penthouse, presents a classic tripartite composition: base, shaft, and cornice. The symmetrical fenestration above the first two floors, vertical window bays accented by red anodized cast aluminum spandrels, creates a striking visual rhythm. Each bay displays three windows per floor, separated by plain brick piers. The first two floors, sheathed in windowless white marble slabs over the original limestone panels and granite base, create a sense of solidity and permanence.