Straight ahead, you’ll see a pale, grid-patterned skyscraper that’s broad-shouldered and resolutely rectangular-just look for the one that seems to have been designed by someone with a deep fondness for geometry.
Ah, Two Allen Center, or as some folks remember it, the Devon Energy Tower-for a hot minute, anyway. Born in 1978, this 521-foot marvel climbed high during Houston’s “build 'em tall and build 'em fast” years. Walk inside and you’ll spot sleek travertine flooring under your shoes, the kind that makes you wonder if you should’ve worn fancier socks. Over its 36 floors, this place has juggled a who’s-who of Texas business: Citicorp hung its banner here back in ‘89, Exxon once filled the cubicles, and Devon Energy had its logo on the door until they pulled stakes in 2012, taking 500 jobs with them. Not the easiest day for the Houston workforce, that. Now, head up to floors 13 and 14, and you’ll find Chamberlain Hrdlicka-the law firm with a name as long as your arm. It’s a building of shifting tenants but unshakeable presence-a box full of stories, right in the heart of the city.
