Neil Denari Among Distinguished Finalists for Houston's Central Station

Image courtesy of Neil M. Denari ArchitectsA distinguished group has been announced as the finalists of a design competition for Central Station in Houston. According to Culture Map Houston, the station's prominent location is inspiring the lofty design ambitions for the new addition to Houston's urban environment.

The five finalists were culled from an initial group of 70:

• Mark Wamble of Interloop Architecture, Houston
• Paul Lewis of Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects, New York
• Neil Denari of Neil M. Denari Architects, Los Angeles
• Chris Sharples of SHoP Architects, New York
• Craig Dykers of Snøhetta, New York and Oslo

Neil Denari, principle of Los Angeles-based Neil M. Denari Architects, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston. Some of the firms in the final group also have connections to the Houston area. Snøhetta is a finalist for the forthcoming contemporary galleries at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Interloop principles Mark Wamble and Dawn Finley are professors at Rice University in Houston.

Central Station will be a transfer hub at the intersection of the forthcoming East End and Southeast lines on Main between Capitol and Rusk. Houston METRO and the Downtown District are holding the competition. The complete collection of final designs is available here.

Image courtesy of Snøhetta