Two new buildings designed by regional architecture stars Lake/Flato Architects will open in Houston in the next couple of months: Rice University’s new swimming-pool and palm-tree festooned Wellness Center . . . and this sleek new H-E-B on Buffalo Speedway and Bissonnet.
Strangely, the San Antonio architecture firm didn’t get the late-nineties memo that specified an Alamo flavored Mission Revival strip and shopping center style for the inner Westpark corridor, and opted instead for a modern-looking hangar with a reflective butterfly roof, lots of glass, and a bunch of eco-features. Plus, fancy foods:
Buffalo Market will feature a Central Market Cafe on the Run, offering gourmet to-go items; a cheese shop with, for example, 54 varieties of bleu cheese; 2,000 varieties of wine; and a sushi and cooking demo station.
Half of the 68,000-square-foot H-E-B store will be devoted to perishables. Typically, supermarkets give perishables about one-third of the store space, [H-E-B and Central Market President Scott] McClelland said. There will be less general merchandise.
Buffalo Market will be similar to the H-E-B/Central Market hybrid in The Woodlands, only it will be an updated version, he said.
A few more photos sent in by a reader:
* * *
H-E-B is now saying it expects the store to open in August.
- It’s an upscale ‘wrestling match’ for grocery stores [Houston Chronicle]
- H-E-B upping ante with Buffalo Market [West University Examiner]
- New Rice Palace of Sweat [Swamplot]
- Buffalo Pharmacy Is Toast [Swamplot]
Photos of H-E-B Buffalo Market, 5225 Bissonnet: Swamplot inbox