My husband works in this building and I have been lucky enough to wander around it a bit. Meredith N covered all the history and details, but she hasn't gotten a chance to go inside... yet.
I entered the building where most people seem do - on the second floor. You can get into the 2nd floor lobby from either the Galleria walkway or from the parking garage. The second floor lobby is huge but very minimal in furnishings. It feels a little like a tomb of a pharaoh, surrounded by stone. You don't feel closed in, it really is quite a huge grand lobby. You can get to the lobby from Galleria I on the top floor near Neiman Marcus. There is a walkway that brings you to the Galleria tower offices and you can continue to the Williams Tower. There isn't any security that Meredith alluded too, you can just walk in, badge or no badge. So, Meredith - head on in and check it out! There are different sets of elevators. When the doors opened, I was surprised to see beautiful marble lining all the interior walls. My husband told me that each elevator has the marble walls but each elevator has a different type of marble. Inside the elevator is a plaque noting the origin of the marble. I took different elevators up and down from my husband's floor and saw completely different types of marble.
I walked out and immediately saw downtown from the windows. Everywhere you look there are windows! It's one of the great things about working in an all glass building. From the floor I was on I was able to see downtown, reliant park, Sugar Land, Memorial Park, etc... On a clear day you can see so much! As I walked around the floor, every office had a different view. You definitely can't be afraid of heights and work in the building. Even if you office isn't against a window, you will constantly get a view as you walk around the floor.
As I left, I stopped and looked at the first floor lobby. FotoFest has a series of photos displayed as part of the exhibition. The first floor lobby also has the huge glass windows above the front door. It's pretty and quite tall but the first floor lobby just isn't as grand as the 2nd floor lobby.
From a work perspective, this building is really nice because it's so much easier to get to than downtown or even Greenway. Yes, the Galleria traffic, especially during the month from Thanksgiving to Christmas, is a nightmare, but the location is great. There are so much lunch options in the Galleria. There is also a Murphy's deli in Williams tower as well as a sundries shop.
Parking is easy, just park in the Galleria for free and then walk over using the sky bridge from the third floor near Neimans. After you look around Williams Tower, you can head outside to the Waterwall. It's one of those buildings that we drive by over and over and never stop at, but it is truly a Houston icon. read more