The original building, finished in 1974, stood at 651 feet (198 m), but a 90-foot (27 m) extension was added as part of a 1996 renovation.

Designed by Richard Keating, this renovation dramatically changed the building, the Houston Skyline and the downtown.

Keating was also the designer of the nearby Wells Fargo Tower.

[4] When Reliant Energy moved out of the building and moved into the new Reliant Energy Plaza in 2003, the company left over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) of space vacant.

Clifford Pugh of the Houston Chronicle wrote that "It was meant to resemble a lantern, but at night the lit open space looks more like a hovering spaceship.