A Tall Story Hilton Palacio del Rio

when old san antonio was young this was the spanish governor's palace one of the most luxurious buildings in Texas some two hundred years ago built of adobe blocks and hand-cut limestone it took six years to construct three of the Southwest and learned much from the legacy of Spanish missions and buildings each proof of the lasting beauty of stone and mortar the governor's royal bedroom three foot thick walls helped to cool it but only brazzers in fireplaces were there for one even in the royal office but this is not the story of the first palace this is the amazing story of how San Antonio got its second Palace the Hilton Palacio del Rio today's palace on the river is the tallest most sophisticated building yet constructed by man's newest construction system of monolithic modular rooms this already famous Hilton Hotel has that new world records of construction speed with its revolutionary engineering and design the first announcement of the 500 room super luxury hotel is made by master builder HB Zachary to the San Antonio City Council his research staff joins design architects Serna and Garza and explaining how the hotel will be built by novel techniques in order to be ready to accommodate guests coming to San Antonio's World's Fair starting April 6th 1968 less than nine months away as chairman of hemisphere 68 as well as his construction company mr. Zachary has both issued and accepted a seemingly impossible challenge the Zachary companies IBM 360 computer system verifies the nine months deadlines will be impossible by any conventional building methods that only a system using modular rooms could be successful with the help of the computer engineers lay out a critical path schedule along which the new concept hotel could be erected with speed and safety starting July 3rd the last of riverbank skid row brick and stone buildings are levelled and hauled away in a single day to clear this 54 by 350 foot hotel site the rivers channel a heavily traveled bridge and two downtown streets dictate both the size of the building site and the methods of its excavation because of the river there can be no usual basement or underground parking foundation piers three feet in diameter and 40 feet deep are drill to anchor the structure smaller piers drilled side by side are filled with steel and concrete to support a man retaining wall slabs of reinforced concrete tie the nearly 200 peers together for this building's exceptionally strong foundation with equal urgency steel room size casting forms are being erected on a 17 acre casting and finishing area located seven miles from the hotel site 16 sets of these forms will cast 500 rooms as complete building units building watchers all amazed at the daily changes in the structure made by three work ships sometimes numbering 400 men working around the clock over 2 million pounds of Steel will go into these foundations and first floors upon which will rest 16 floors of unique guest rooms in September a shaft to house seven guests and service elevators begins to rise from the center of the site using slip form construction the tower seems to pull itself up by its own bootstraps with its system of hydraulic jacks pushing the platform up as concrete and steel are added to its walls not even the fringe effects of Gulf Coast hurricane Beulah slows this towers climb to 232 feet the equal of 22 stories at an average of more than a foot per hour to expedite construction in every way possible the building is erected in three sections north central and south by the time the tower reaches its full height work is starting on the main entrance steps the top of the fourth floor will be the deck upon which the guest rooms will be stacked to provide extra strength cross beams of reinforced concrete 30 inches wide and six feet deep are poured as part of this deck to form the end walls and exit stairwells another slip form is made ready to rise 21 floors at each end of the building at this time entirely cast rooms are being turned out by assembly-line methods teams of specialists install plumbing and electrical fittings at predetermined places in the cage of reinforcing steel some four thousand pounds of steel goes into each room all rooms are nine feet high thirteen feet across and thirty are 33 feet long in order that the building will have a checkerboard effect of private balconies for lifting handles of steel cable are also cast into the modules walls the inner form is drawn into the outer form walls these forms give proper surface to the rooms walls and determine the 5-inch thickness of concrete ends are fastened to hold the wet concrete in place 21 cubic yards of special light aggregate concrete go into casting each room the module will weigh 35 tons through speed its concrete setting in curing time steam is pumped into the covered casting for nine hours during the 71 days of casting the required rooms the quitting whistle never sounds for over 200 men working in staggered ships to determine quality control data and to know when the module is ready to leave the mold sample cylinders of each rooms concrete are given compression tests to giant gantry cranes designed and built in the Zachary companies heavy machine shop and moving on railroad tracks remove the castings and transfer them for trucking to the next phase of this new concept of manufacturing complete rooms this is part of the genius of the system envisioned by HP Zachary all finishing installations and complete furnishings are done at ground level a third gantry moves the 35 tonne people boxes as journalists have named the rooms around on a 10-acre finishing and furnishing yard as if it's a parking lot a single steel frame gives the rooms a picture window and balcony with bronze tinted glass at privacy while reducing heat electrical units need only to be connected as the room becomes part of the hotel 100-yard rolls of fine carpeting are cut and distributed by finishing teams furniture arrives by the truckload from many states with some decorative items coming up from Mexico each room is assigned the same number it is to be in the hotel so furniture for five different decor and color schemes is allocated and arranged in the proper room sequence every one of the 496 guest rooms is provided with a built-in FM and standard broadcast radio and a color television set mounted upon a swivel base wall plaques are mounted and perfectly leveled head boards are fixed in exact predetermined positions even table lamps are bolted into place complete with bulbs the high lift crane is the key to this futuristic building system for this project a 300-ton super crane costing almost a quarter million dollars will be used to lift some of the rooms more than 200 feet into place by November 3rd the hotel is ready for the first rooms to be placed news of this revolutionary building attracts so much attention that a national telecast of the event is made few drivers on the expressway realize they've been passed by a hotel room several hundred interested spectators witness a ceremonious signing in of Henry Bartel zachary jr president of the Zachary company and his wife Molly as the hotel's first guests they're advised that the rooms cost will be approximately 10 million dollars after christening room 522 Molly and Bartel Zachary joined the hotel representatives to make hospitality history by being the first people ever to ride their room into a hotel as predicted that room 522 makes a perfect landing it's Spanish Mediterranean furnishings and rich color tones being but one of the five interior designs of the guest rooms in this totally unique hotel full sized bathroom featuring marble and imported tile even the placement of a modular rooms is unique in every way random stacking rather than floor by floor and the use of the Sakura company's invention of a whirlybird lifting rig which guides the rooms into place multiple transits sighting by teams of surveyors make possible the precise alignment required in stacking the modules welders arc solid the steel rods protruding from the rooms to bomb them into place the first rows of modules prove the engineering and stacking techniques to be correct the architectural design of pleasing geometric effect rooms are soon rising high above the historic neighboring buildings many of them over 200 years old interiors of five different decor designs are executed with custom-built furniture and rich fabrics in harmony with the overall theme of Royal Spanish living each room has an entertainment area closet and dressing alcove in addition to the sitting room furniture arrangement there are rooms with king-size beds twin beds and two queen-size beds to accommodate guests needs from bachelors to large families imperial suites are made up of four modules interconnecting bedrooms are on either side of the separate living and dining rooms each suite has its private bar all rooms are given a final check by a Hilton staff interior decorator much of the smooth success with which the big red crane lifts the rooms into their places is due to the whirlybird by changing speed and pitch of its helicopter tail rotor modules are maneuvered in the correct position for stacking while a talker in phone contact with the cranes operator gives instructions to raise or lower the room for exact placement a 20-inch space between the room walls allows for the vertical installation of the utility lines brick panels close the exterior opening the critical path estimated 10 rooms per day could be placed but crews became so expect that the big crane is finished with the South section by December it was during the next period of stacking that a record of 35 complete rooms were placed in a single workday a world record for any type of durable construction by mid-december some floors are complete thirty-one rooms on each level 16 floors high a total of 496 rooms the excitement of these flying rooms is nearing its end all rooms will be in place 31 days ahead of schedule on this raw December 20th morning everyone is in a festive mood this is the day the last room goes up to help celebrate the occasion and his perfect record for piloting the whirly bird operator is awarded wings the last room is readied for hoisting then to everyone's surprise mr. HB Zachary in his own exuberance likes to ride it up his master plan his vision and his multi-million dollar gamble on this new concept of systems building is already a success beyond expectations the South Texas company he had founded 44 years ago was setting World Records for erecting the highest and most luxurious prefabricated structure as well as the fastest construction time for a building of this type at Christmastime HemisFair 68 is bogged down by bad weather on most of its conventional type construction with only 100 days until opening it seems impossible for either the fair or hotel to be ready by April 6th last major construction phase began with a rope deck which bonds the tops of all 20th floor rooms upon it will be built the ballroom and supper table while below worked is racing against time all manner of finishing work is going on from atop the elevator shaft to river level but each day the building shows more clearly its heritage of Palace like Spanish grandeur a tapping of sheet copper adds a look of gold crowning before the Cypress and cottonwoods lining the river began the bud the roof is on and the building has a dressing of white antique brick in bronze as prefabricated shadowbox windows encircle the rope workmen have a preview of the fair as it catches up to its own critical path scheduled a block from the hotel another secre company project is being constructed with seemingly magical speed using precast components a six story parking garage for 600 automobiles beginning in march it will look like this in may windows two storeys high add dimension to the columns and arches of the front and entrance a fountain walk leading to the river is lined with native limestone to match the old bridge flattens of Mexican design will light the river walk outside the main dining room the world-famed hilton name is added to the hotel's regal title Palacio del Rio these electronic control systems will operate the seven fully automated elevators from river to ballroom for guests and service removable closure panels seal the space between each room and its neighbor yet allows for servicing plumbing and electrical lines these pumping units will deliver chilled or heated water to climate control each guestroom and public area individually quarters are finished with gold or on textured fabrics on alternate floors all 21 levels are given rich carpeting on corridors in public areas lighting fixtures from wall lamps to great crown like chandeliers add to the theme of Spanish grandeur final touches are added to complete the interior motif executive and special service offices are put into use almost before their paint is dry meeting rooms are last to be finished to portray the hotel's theme of Royal Spanish heritage one of San Antonio's nationally known artists Margaret Putnam creates an 11 by 20 foot mural depicting Spain's interest in the new world and a Bo's who brought Western culture to the Americas in the lobby stands a giant bronze relief symbolizing the Zachry ideal imagination the will to work and the courage to proceed members of the Gideon Bible Society present 500 new Bibles to make guest rooms complete on April first five days ahead of its impossible deadline the hotel is dedicated and blessed by the Archbishop of San Antonio founder of the worldwide hotel chain mr. Conrad Hilton formally accepts management of the hotel the six flags which are flown over Texas are raised along with a Hilton banner as a fitting end to the opening ceremony to celebrate the grand opening all lights are switched on to make the hotel a glittering jewel from its opening day hundreds of guests and thousands of visitors have filled this modern palace to marvel at its majestic it's furnishings of old world luxury it's blending of deluxe materials textures and colors intrigued by this combining of 17th century architectural style with 21st century building methods El comedor the dining room is typical of this infusion of ultra-modern construction techniques into traditional designs for today's most gracious living the gentle flowing river traffic just beyond it's tables and boomers plus the rich appointments and decor add to the enjoyment of world-famous Hilton cuisine overlooking the dining room and river is the less formal coffee shop serving guests almost around the clock many visitors attend meetings and private banquets in one of the four pleasant meeting rooms on the mezzanine 600 diners can be served in this Grand Ballroom overlooking most of the city designed for dancing - there are twin dance floors of parquet hardwood and no place in the hotel our fixtures for lighting so reminiscent of palatial splendor El Corte rial the Royal Room is a membership supper club which can accommodate 250 guests with its own kitchen and bar facilities an orchestra and dancing are features of this plush lounge all guests may enjoy the Sun and rooftop pool most of the year in San Antonio yes especially welcome the ideal location directly across from the multi-million dollar Municipal Convention Center and the Fiesta Land World's Fair complex from Riverview balconies one looks down upon La Villita the little village built by Spanish canary Islanders nearly 250 years ago this day the rivers banks are crowded with art lovers and the curious at the annual River Art Show several times each year there are parades parades and fiestas are living links with the past in old San Antonio each April a week-long series of fun and pageantry begins with the Kings River parade passing along these banks lined with cheering revelers and through canyons of downtown buildings in modern San Antonio everyone joins in celebrating Fiesta Week and almost everyone visits Levitas night and old San Antonio and Palacio del Rio for more formal fiestas fun this then is the story of how a fantastic palace became historic before it was even finished its construction in only 202 workdays has set many World Records has established a futuristic building system which gives new hope for the housing and building needs of today and of the future when next you come to walk with the past along the old San Antonio River visit the most modern Palace in the world the Hilton Palacio del Rio you

Channel: Hilton Palacio del Rio

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Keywords: San Antonio (City/Town/Village), Texas (US State), San Antonio River (River), San Antonio River Walk (Tourist Attraction), Downtown San Antonio (Location), Modular Design (Industry), Construction (Industry), Hilton Hotels & Resorts (Hotel Operator), Hilton Worldwide (Hotel Operator), Austin (City/Town/Village), Dallas (City/Town/Village), Houston (City/Town/Village), Hilton Palacio Del Rio, Tall Story (Film), Tourist Destination, Tourism (Interest)

Id: 2t3-PeLcIYg

Length: 21min 45sec (1305 seconds)

Published: Wed May 13 2015