28 replies to this topic

[rad707]

World-renowned architects designing Austin high-rise
Tower at Fifth and Congress could be city's tallest.
By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, May 11, 2006

A renowned architectural firm that created one of the world's tallest buildings is designing what could become Austin's tallest high-rise — a sleek, flared glass tower that would dramatically alter downtown's skyline.

The mixed-use tower being designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects is set to rise 47 stories on the northeast corner of Fifth Street and Congress Avenue, next to the 26-story Bank of America building. Senior principals Cesar Pelli and Fred Clarke and firm principal Bill Butler will lead the design team.

Austin developer Tom Stacy plans to break ground by mid-2007.

The City of Austin Planning Commission recommended a zoning change Tuesday that would allow Stacy to build a tower with more than 1 million square feet. Planning Commissioner Cid Galindo praised the project for its "vision and audacity."

The zoning request next goes to the City Council, which has the final say.

The Fifth & Congress tower — preliminarily named after its location — is one in a string of dramatic designs for the architectural firm.

It designed the landmark twin 89-story Petronas Towers in Malaysia, which soar 1,483 feet skyward. It was the tallest structure in the world when it was built in 1998.It's now the second-tallest.

Other projects designed by the New Haven, Conn.-based firm include the Museum of Modern Art and Museum Tower in New York, the 41-story Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo, the Reagan Washington National Airport and the 31-story Torre Libertad tower in Mexico City.

Both Clarke and Butler have Texas ties: Clarke is a graduate of the University of Texas' School of Architecture, and Butler is a San Antonio native and a Rice University graduate.

They, along with Cesar Pelli, also worked on projects at Rice University and the master plan for the UT campus.

For the Fifth & Congress tower, Stacy's instructions to the architects were straightforward: "Design me the prettiest building you can for this site," said Elizabeth Christian, a spokeswoman for Stacy.

Said Stacy: "These guys have been developing buildings for the past 20 years, and we have the opportunity to bring that experience, creativity and expertise to Austin."

The result will be a high-rise that is "a world-class building molded to fit the culture, needs and desires of the Austin community," Stacy said. "This is not New York City, Malaysia or Hong Kong. The project has to embrace the vision of the community for that location." Preliminary designs call for the tower to rise up to 700 feet, housing 925,000 square feet of condominiums, retail space and offices or a hotel. The building could be in a rivalry for the title of the city's tallest: another developer plans a condominium tower several blocks away that also could be up to 700 feet tall.

Stacy plans 180 to 200 condominiums priced at $500 to $600 a square foot, putting the average unit, 1,150 square feet, at up to almost $700,000 — in line with many of downtown's newer condos. The condos will be on the tower's top floors, starting above the height of the Bank of America building.

Included in the project is a 12-story parking garage with 1,200 spaces at Fifth and Brazos streets. Stacy hopes to start construction on it later this year. Even though it is recommending approval of the tower, the Planning Commission postponed action on the garage to ex- plore concerns raised by residents of the nearby Brazos Lofts.

Stacy said he is considering putting moderately priced apartments atop the garage, although that may not be economically feasible because of downtown's high land prices.


Find this article at:
http://www.statesman....1downtown.html

[JDawgboy]

Looks like the planning commission got a first glimps of what the design could be.  Too bad they havn't made is public.

[cheeriokid61]

On SSC there is a rendering of a tower which I was led to believe was the final design for this one. It's in the second forum with all of the construction updates. I don't know why.

[JDawgboy]

cheeriokid61, on May 13 2006, 09:50 AM, said:

On SSC there is a rendering of a tower which I was led to believe was the final design for this one. It's in the second forum with all of the construction updates. I don't know why.

Yea I finally saw it.  Very interesting design but it is actually not the final design.  Its basically what the building will look like but there will be some tweeks in the design between now and when they break ground.

[eastsider]

This is the rendering that was in with the Statesmans article online.

[zt456]

that's ugly

[eastsider]

And another view.

[BHCav]

I just moved away from the Austin area.  Liked the place a lot and I wouldn't mind living there again.  This building is horrendous.  Austin's skyline is very visually pleasing and I would hate to see this project stick out like a sore thumb in the mist of it.  I have a feeling that the finished product will not look anything like this though.  Someone will come to their senses.

[cheeriokid61]

I really like it. I think it'll be a cool signature building for the city, and will remain a great tower, even after it's not the tallest.

[JDawgboy]

I don't believe this building will stick out at all.  You keep forgetting there are seveal other buildings going up that will be tall.  Plus with competition from another 700 footer, the skyline will be more balanced by the time they finish 5th at Congress.

[cheeriokid61]

Yeah, and still, it would be less than 200 feet taller than the Frost Bank. That's not much for a signature tower, which is what this should be.

Just out of curiosity, with it being made of all glass and having lots of trees, does anyone else think this tower could be LEED certified?

Edited by cheeriokid61, 21 June 2006 - 09:43 AM.

[JDawgboy]

I am not sure at this point since these are still peliminary renderings.  But overall several projects in downtown Austin are definatly being built with an enviromentaly friendly design and incorporate solar energy as well as other things.  I would think that the designers would utilize that in the design of this building.

[eastsider]

In a recent article about the sale of another downtown office bulding, Tom Stacy was quoted about this project.

Quote

And Amstar said it is "looking forward to doing more deals in Austin" with Stacy, whose other projects include plans for a 47-story high-rise at Fifth Street and Congress Avenue to be designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, an internationally known architectural firm. It would be built next to Stacy's Bank of America building, replacing the current annex.

The building is planned to have condominiums, shops, offices and possibly a hotel. There is no timetable for breaking ground, Stacy said.

Austin American Statesman: Downtown office high-rise sold

And a larger version of the rendering:

[eastsider]

Things seem the be slowly progressing, There has been an agreement for the tenants of the four story building to move out, with most of them going to the 26-story 515 Congress building across the street which Tom Stacy also owns. He still says that there is no time table foe the new mixed-use tower which was originally announced in late 2004.

Quote

Stacy has since simplified the project, eliminating the hotel and apartments and focusing on two levels of retail, 200 condominiums and 330,000 square feet of office space.

Austin American-Statesman: Stacy makes first move to clear the way for Congress Avenue project

Edited by eastsider, 18 May 2007 - 03:52 PM.

[JDawgboy]

We could see a design change here though not sure if it will be scaled back from the current plan of 47 stories.  He is likely going to add office space where the hotel and apartments were taken out so it could stay around the same height or maybe get taller.  Time will tell.

[erdogs]

Quote

More than three years after Austin developer Tom Stacy and a Chicago partner company purchased the building at 501 Congress Ave. and unveiled plans for a dramatic multiuse tower on the site, the deal has grown much larger, incorporating one-and-a-half city blocks, two soaring towers and an estimated $500 million investment.
Stacy’s company, T. Stacy & Associates Inc., and Walton Street Capital now plan a 500,000-square-foot office and retail tower at 501 Congress that would be slightly taller than the 26-story Bank of America Center building the partnership owns at 515 Congress next door. The group is also plotting a hotel and condo tower at the corner of Brazos and Fifth streets that would rise more than 800 feet, making it by far the tallest building in Austin and the sixth-tallest in Texas.

This is a pretty ambitious plan, with it being spread out over 4-10 years it could become a reality.

http://www.590klbj.c...y.aspx?id=85565

http://grand-heights.myminicity.com/

[Texas Hill Country]

Wow, it took an 830 footer for this board to show signs of life.  Too bad Tom Stacy's name is on this project.  He doesn't have the best track record getting projects to break ground.  But this is a long term project, and we have so many other high rises to watch going up in the meantime.  Hopefully we see some renderings soon.

[erdogs]

Texas Hill Country, on Feb 24 2008, 09:20 AM, said:

Wow, it took an 830 footer for this board to show signs of life.

I have noticed that few in Texas are interested in urban design, the lack of interest in any of the Texas forums as evidence. The Austonian is going up as I type and it will top out at about 55 floors. These are interesting times in Austin as the skyline will be unrecognizable in a few years.

[Texas Hill Country]

erdogs, on Feb 25 2008, 03:30 PM, said:

I have noticed that few in Texas are interested in urban design, the lack of interest in any of the Texas forums as evidence. The Austonian is going up as I type and it will top out at about 55 floors. These are interesting times in Austin as the skyline will be unrecognizable in a few years.

SSP seems to be where Austin and San Antonio people go.  Houston folks have their own forum:  HAIF.  And yes, Austin's skyline will look a lot different when just the buildings under construction are finished.  If just half of all the approved and/or proposed projects guilt built it will look significantly different.

[buckett5425]

I have family in Austin, so I occasionally check the Austin forum and I noticed it always was dead, same with other cities like Mobile. But I then realized it wasn't because of a lack of interest, it is just that they use another website to chat, SSP. Speaking of which, SSP's forum isnt organized and their info of all the cities is inaccurate, and UP is much better. Get the Austonians in line and on UP, lol