Downtown Houston has exploded over the past few years with development targeted specifically toward attracting citizens into its downtown center beyond work hours.  Some of these efforts have been a huge success; others have yet to justify themselves.  But none so far have reached the architectural caliber that Houston’s latest competition has.  The current light rail system in Houston is looking to expand rapidly in the near future to keep up with growing downtown attractions, most notably of which being the new and much anticipated Houston Dynamo Stadium by Populous.

The original scheme called for two new separate stations on Main Street – one at the 600 block, and one at the 800 block.  The resolution was then made to create a larger, combined light rail hub in between the two at the 700 block of Main Street, and hold a competition led by Dean Patricia Oliver of the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Dean Sarah Whiting of the Rice University School of Architecture.  A short list was created composed of internationally renowned architecture firms, and the competition winner is to be announced in the upcoming weeks.  More to come once the finalist is announced.