Emily Morgan Hotel

(Medical Arts Building)
San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Download PCX as emilypcx.zip.
Download TIL as emilytil.zip.
Download MIF as emilymif.zip.

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Constructed in 1926 and originally named the Medical Arts Building, this historic landmark is a picturesque example of Gothic eclecticism, complete with flying buttresses crowning the hexagonal corner tower. The medical-arts type of skyscraper was popular in the 1920's as physicians sought to exploit the benefits of working together in fascilities specially designed for them. The San Antonio Medical Arts Building, designed by architect Ralph Cameron as a flatiron, stands on one of the many irregularly shaped sites created as San Antonio's downtown streets intersect the winding San Antonio River. The particular corner site of the Medical Arts Building is even more interesting as it sits directly next to Alamo Plaza, allowing the building to overlook the historic Alamo shrine and its grounds. Although it was intended that other buildings continue the wall-edge of the flatiron, no such buildings were constructed, leaving the Medical Arts Building to stand alone were it can today be clearly admired.

The Medical Arts Building was renovated in 1984, reopening as the Emily Morgan Hotel. The new hotel was named for the heroine of the Texas Revolution who inspired the "The Yellow Rose of Texas."

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To make the scurk image work I increased the scale slightly, allowing some of the Gothic detailing to be seen. Also, the actual building has very muted pink-grey cladding, but such a color in not available in SCURK. Finally, rather than try to draw angled streets binding in the triangular lot, I just filled in a plaza.

Tower Life Building

(Smith-Young Tower)
San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Download PCX as towlipcx.zip.
Download TIL as towlitil.zip.
Download MIF as towlimif.zip.

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The soaring Tower Life Building was for nearly 30 years the tallest building in San Antonio. Built in 1929 and originally named the Smith-Young Tower, this building still remains the most interesting and locally popular landmark on the city skyline. Though the 35-story tower had been for a time incorrectly labelled as the tallest building west of Chicago, the Smith-Young Tower still was perhaps the most important historic office tower in the South and still remains arguably one of the most beautiful.

The epitome of San Antonio's frenzied building boom of the 1920's, the tower was planned to be the centerpiece of a complex known as Bowen's Island Skyscrapers, but the Great Depression halted the remainder of the project and later also ended San Antonio's position as the leading metropolis in Texas.

For the oddly shaped site along the narrow San Antonio River, architects Atlee B. and Robert M. Ayres designed an irregularly eight-sided, step-backed tower clad in brick and glazed terra-cotta.

In keeping with San Antonio's tendency for historicism, the Smith-Young Tower was eclectically decorated with Gothic-inspired ornament, showcasing one of the many fashionable architectural styles in which Ayres & Ayres were fluent. The syringe-like radio mast was a later addition, and at night the upper setback portions are floodlit to create a brilliant wedding cake display on the skyline. The firm of Ayers B. & Robert M. Ayers, important regional architects in Texas, located both their offices and the public observation deck on the 30th floor, where they had a commanding view of the city. The first five floors were briefly occupied by a Sears & Roebuck department store. However, the major tenant of the building was Tower Life Insurance, from which the present name derives. Today, the Tower Life Building is listed as a national historic landmark and remains a fascinating focal point along downtown San Antonio's Paseo del Rio.

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I've done some fudging on the scurk image to emphasize the building's verticality, particularly with the roof, as the the photograph and its angle makes the building look far more squat than it really appears. The brownish color might also be a little darker than in reality. The actual neighboring building is a bland modern structure, but I tried a less jarring fill-in that preserves the actual neighbor's height and window lines. Finally, the real Tower Life Building stands at a tight intersection and doesn't have a large front plaza, so I have included a stand-alone version of the building which Window's users may place on a 3x3 tilebase if they wish.

I had originally started drawing this scurk this week both because of the present craze of historic buildings launched by David Caver's and because of a suggestion in an earlier thread that it was impossible to make good buildings with SCURK. One the first point, I hope this SCURK activity continous, and I hope to bring a few more San Antonio scurks shortly (this building has a skyline pair that is very complementary). One the second point, I think this pretty good building, maybe my best work. However, in converting the DOS files into a MIF tileset, I had to for the first time really try out Window's SCURK, and let me say that it was a frustrating experience in futility which I never want to repeat. Had I started using SCURK with that program, I too would find making good buildings impossible and would have given up. Knowing how many artists there are who actually produce truly great scurk tiles with Window's SCURK just amazes me (how do you guys do it?), while knowing how widespread Window's SCURK is fills me with fear.

I'm sure you all will appreciate the MIFs this time and as they are my first attempt with that format, let me know if they work okay. Also, be sure to let me know if the download links work or not, as my attempts at making download links here have mysteriously gotten buggy for me recently.

I hope this scurk does the Tower Life Building justice, as it is among my favorite buildings and is a true skyline gem.