Southern Union Gas Company Building
Encyclopedia
The Southern Union Gas Company Building is a historic building in downtown
Albuquerque
, New Mexico
, which is notable as one of the earliest International style
buildings in the city. Built in 1951, it was the largest of several Southern Union offices around the state designed by southwestern architect John Gaw Meem
. Meem was much better known for working in the Pueblo Revival style but did design a handful of other modernist
buildings, such as the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
.
Meem completed the design for the Southern Union building in 1949, intending to "project the image of a progressive, public-spirited company". The building has two stories, with the former appliance showroom on the ground floor and a multipurpose "hospitality room" upstairs. The main showroom space is 17 feet (5.2 m) high, with a sweeping staircase to the upper level and expansive plate-glass windows on the south and west sides.
In 2004–5, the then-vacant building was renovated and converted into a Flying Star
restaurant at a cost of $3.5 million. It was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties
in 2003 and the National Register of Historic Places
in 2004.
Downtown Albuquerque
Downtown Albuquerque is the central business district of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is where a large number of the city's highrise buildings are located, as well as being the center of government and business for the region....
Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, which is notable as one of the earliest International style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
buildings in the city. Built in 1951, it was the largest of several Southern Union offices around the state designed by southwestern architect John Gaw Meem
John Gaw Meem
John Gaw Meem IV was an American architect based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is best known for his instrumental role in the development and popularization of the Pueblo Revival style...
. Meem was much better known for working in the Pueblo Revival style but did design a handful of other modernist
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
buildings, such as the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is an arts center located just north of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Located on the same city block are the American Numismatic Association and part of the campus of Colorado College....
.
Meem completed the design for the Southern Union building in 1949, intending to "project the image of a progressive, public-spirited company". The building has two stories, with the former appliance showroom on the ground floor and a multipurpose "hospitality room" upstairs. The main showroom space is 17 feet (5.2 m) high, with a sweeping staircase to the upper level and expansive plate-glass windows on the south and west sides.
In 2004–5, the then-vacant building was renovated and converted into a Flying Star
Flying Star
Flying Star is a privately owned and operated fast food restaurant chain in Albuquerque, New Mexico.-History:Flying Star's first location was opened in 1987 on Central in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque, across from the UNM campus. At the time it was named Double Rainbow, as it was a franchisee...
restaurant at a cost of $3.5 million. It was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties
New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties
The New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties is a register of historic and prehistoric properties located in the state of New Mexico. It is maintained by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The Cultural Properties Review Committee...
in 2003 and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2004.