not up to code

A Mini problem: Design stores catch heat from city officials for hanging replicaof car on building

Code inspectors doled out three citations for the floating Mini Cooper promotionin late December.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
The car company recently installed a similar campaign in Times Square.
Photo by Asterio Tecson/Flickr
For now, the Mini remains . . . the building owner hopes to get the installationapproved by the city this week.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Though made of a fiberglass, the car look surprisingly real . . . even uponclose inspection from a second-story window.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
The city demanded for building tenants to remove the car in late December andrequested that barricades be installed.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
According to the building owner, the Mini was installed by a professional signcompany, which enlisted the help of a structural engineer to ensure publicsafety.
Photo by Tyler Rudick

Houston code inspectors must have been speechless in late December when they stumbled upon a Mini Cooper attached to the side of an Upper Kirby building

The city immediately deemed the installation a safety risk, ticketing the building's two modern design stores — Parvizian Rugs International and Internum — for improper signage, asking them to remove the floating car and erect a barricade to help passers-by avoid walking beneath it.

The team of panicked city inspectors had no idea it was a fake when they issued no less than three citations.

But according to Hayden Parvizian, who owns the building at 3303 Kirby as well as Parvizian Rugs on the second floor, there's a trick keeping a 2,600-pound vehicle in mid-air . . . It has to be made of fiberglass.

"The car's actually just a hollow display piece from Mini Cooper to show off the new S series," he told CultureMap on Tuesday.

"We're working with Momentum Mini for the campaign, which was recently done in Times Square where there's a lot more foot traffic. It's completely safe. We had it installed by professionals with assistance from a structural engineer."

Unfortunately, the team of panicked inspectors had no idea it was a fake when they issued no less than three citations. In their defense, though, the car looks pretty damn real.

Parvizian explained that the city doesn't exactly have a "floating Mini" section in its current building code. With the support of several officials, however, he hopes to have the installation officially approved by Friday.

Don't miss the KHOU Ch.11 report for additional video footage:

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This Week's Hot Headlines

Austin restaurant chain bowls over River Oaks and more popular stories

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including restaurant openings and a major acquisition for MFAH. Plus, where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Houston. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide to the best Christmas weekend events.

1. Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

2. Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire. It didn’t take Sambrooks Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opened December 22.

3. 25 Houston restaurants celebrating New Year's Eve with caviar, bubbles, and more. Houston restaurants are ringing in the new year with indulgent menus featuring caviar, lobster, and steak, along with plenty of bubbly.

4. Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District.

Holland Lodge masonic building The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace. Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

5. Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025. As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. These are the City Life stories that captured Houston's attention.