The Texas Medical Center in downtown Houston is currently undergoing a massive, two-tower redevelopment. The addition of a 353-room hotel and adjacent 375-unit residential highrise will completely transform the sprawling hospital campus, bringing a significantly higher amount of foot traffic to the area. Together these towers make up the Latitude Medical Center, which is slated for completion in 2020. The most recent renderings of the project offer a glimpse into its projected size and scope. 

Latitude Medical Center, hotel (front) and residential tower (rear), image via HOK

Viewed above in the foreground, the InterContinental Hotel-branded portion of the HOK-designed, Medistar-built, dual-tower development, will feature 25,000 square feet of office space situated above what will become a small collection of high-end restaurants and bars on the ground floor. While the majority of the 21-storey hotel will be dedicated to guest rooms, there will also be adequate space left over for a full range of hotel amenities. 

InterContinental Hotel, close-up view of exterior space, image via HOK

Around to the other side, the 30-plus-storey, 375-unit apartment tower by developer Greystar will loom above the entire complex. The rental tower will accommodate a wide array of tenants, with units ranging from 349 to 3,800 square feet. The residential tower will sit atop a multi-storey parking garage, and residents will share the lobby space with the attached hotel. Clad primarily in red brick, the apartment tower will stand out against the matte stone facade of the hotel tower. 

Latitude Medical Center, apartment tower, image via HOK

Below, the most recent images from the build site reveal the state of progress that has been made since its ground breaking back in the summer. In the intervening six months, construction has risen several floors above grade, and the physical impact of the development on the local landscape is now beginning to take shape. 

Latitude Medical Center, overhead view, late November 2016, image by Forum contributor urbannizer

Viewed below the most recent image of the site reveal the progress made in just a few short weeks, as the project has already become part of the local streetscape. Viewed in its immediate urban context, the Latitude Medical Center is but one of many projects currently underway within the environs of the sprawling Texas Medical Center campus. The space is shared by the hospital, along with partners Texas A&M University, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Baylor College of Medicine. 

Latitude Medical Center, urban context view, December 2016, image by Forum contributor urbannizer

Once complete, the hotel and residential towers will be a welcome addition to the surrounding Texas Medical Center, adding a sizeable human element into the otherwise relatively austere environs of the campus. Located south of Midtown within an easy walk to Rice University and the Houston Zoo, and linked to downtown via the adjacent LRT line, the new development will be well connected to the rest of the city, part of the ongoing urban transformation that has slowly but surely begun to take root in Houston over the last few years. 

SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.