Franzen used to study under Breuer and Gropius at Harvard. The author Klaus Herdeg took the Theatre as example for the “American deterioration” of the Bauhaus legacy and called the building emblematic for the aestheticization of the Bauhaus formula. Like a massive Fortress the theater declines any connections to the surrounding cityscape. As with many Brutalist projects, Franzen’s project was subject to many contradicting evaluations. The Houston Press called it one of the “ugliest buildings downtown” in one instance and “one of the finest modern buildings in Houston” in another.

Renovated 2013–2015, heritage listed since 2015. Severely damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.