the el paso energy building (also known as the kinder morgan building) is a high-rise office building located in houston, texas. it was completed in 1963 and has 33 floors. it was originally known as the tenneco building. it is the 28th tallest building in the city. because of downtown houston's diagonal street grid, all four sides of the building are exposed to the sun. the windows are recessed from the frame to control heat and glare from the sun. the footprint of the building is an exact square. skidmore, owings & merrill llp, the architects of the building, were recognized with an honor award from the american institute of architects in 1969. an elevator or an escalator were required to get to the main lobby of the building because it was raised above the street level. the first 5 floors of the building opened to make a huge glass-enclosed space. a number of drive-through bank kiosks along louisiana street were replaced with fountains in 1984.