Tear down the Astrodome

The Houston Press reports on the possible fates of the Astrodome.

Houstonians are properly proud of the Astrodome. Billed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", it was the first air-conditioned sports stadium and an excellent example of the architecture of its time. The combination of audacity and publicity that went into building it is the trademark of this city. Even 40 years later, people the world over hear "Astrodome" and think "Houston".

And it ought to be torn down.

Why?

Because it's time to move on. And Houston is a city that moves on, to the new, the modern, the better.

For all its past glory, what is the Astrodome today? A crumbling third-rate sports stadium that no one wants to use; at best, an elegant ruin.

Houston is not a city of elegant ruins. We lack the natural beauty to contrast them against—not here are the rolling hills of Rome, the green plains of London, the stunning harbor of New York City.

Houston is a city built in a swamp. It was built for commerce by people who wanted the wealth that commerce brings.

And with that wealth, the people of Houston bought what new money can buy: modern art, modern architecture, modern medicine. Always the newest, and always the best of the new.

That's what Houston is. If it is great for anything, it is great for that.

And that's why Houston should demolish the Astrodome, without fanfare, in the dead of night. And when Bill White is asked why the international symbol of Houston was unceremoniously levelled, he should gesture towards Reliant Stadium and say "Because we have something better now."

(He should go on to say that "Jordy Tollett has been fired", but that's a subject for another time.)