AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 386

KevinFromTexas · #**7701** Posted **Jun 21, 2010, 7:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by migol24

while i don't mind your opinion disliking the w, i simply cannot wrap my mind around you calling it the ugliest building behind ashton and four seasons. ashton definitely holds the spot as ugliest building... and i find the w, frost, 360 and austonian to be austin's best skyscrapers.

Well then, my next comment is going to prove that people have different likes and opinions. Ashton isn't my favorite, but I really doubt it's our ugliest building. It's not perfect I know, but there are other less attractive buildings in Austin, even new ones from this boom. Right now, Four Seasons and Legacy fit into that category for me, and also probably the Hilton. Ashton is at least "decent".

360 is probably favorite new building. It's just a good looking building top to bottom. I have very few gripes about it. W, Frost, The Austonian and Spring, along with 360, are a best new talls from this boom. And for a shorter building, The Monarch is a really nice building. My only gripe with it, is that it looks too wide from the east and west, even so, it's not too bad.

wild wild west · #**7702** Posted **Jun 21, 2010, 2:04 PM**

Wow, who deposited a skyline in Austin since last time I checked?

Kidding aside, that's a huge transformation in a very short amount of time. Amazing.

priller · #**7703** Posted **Jun 21, 2010, 3:15 PM**

I always thought the inspiration for W's design was the Lever House in NYC. I think it's held up pretty well:

The thing about the W is it looks very different depending on the weather, time of day, etc. This weekend, with all the billowy clouds, I thought it looked pretty damn good. And when it's overcast, it looks gray and very "New York" to me. I think it probably looks worst when it's clear and sunny, when there's almost no contrast between the windows and siding.

My wife thinks it looks like a Lego building.

Mopacs · #**7704** Posted **Jun 21, 2010, 4:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wild wild west

Wow, who deposited a skyline in Austin since last time I checked?

Kidding aside, that's a huge transformation in a very short amount of time. Amazing.

Absolutely... It's safe to say that Austin's skyline transformation is by far the most dramatic of any Texas city over the past decade (if not since the 80s).

When you think about it, the downtown skylines of Dallas and Houston do not appear all that different than they did 20 years ago...aside from a few 400-600 footers here and there (not large enough to impact the overall skyline). Their time will come again I'm sure.

ahealy · #**7705** Posted **Jun 21, 2010, 6:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

I always thought the inspiration for W's design was the Lever House in NYC. I think it's held up pretty well:

The thing about the W is it looks very different depending on the weather, time of day, etc. This weekend, with all the billowy clouds, I thought it looked pretty damn good. And when it's overcast, it looks gray and very "New York" to me. I think it probably looks worst when it's clear and sunny, when there's almost no contrast between the windows and siding.

My wife thinks it looks like a Lego building.

I've always compared the W to Lever House too. I also agree on the sunny days thing. I'm not a huge fan of how it can look when there are zero clouds in the sky.
All in all I think we have a great mix of architecture downtown, and will continue to see more diversity in design as we go through this next decade

crewer · #**7706** Posted **Jun 21, 2010, 8:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

I've always compared the W to Lever House too. I also agree on the sunny days thing. I'm not a huge fan of how it can look when there are zero clouds in the sky.
All in all I think we have a great mix of architecture downtown, and will continue to see more diversity in design as we go through this next decade

I think a lot of us have seen the similarities between the W and Lever House. I referenced the Lever House back when the model of the W was first posted on this forum.

MichaelB · #**7707** Posted **Jun 22, 2010, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

I always thought the inspiration for W's design was the Lever House in NYC. I think it's held up pretty well:

The thing about the W is it looks very different depending on the weather, time of day, etc. This weekend, with all the billowy clouds, I thought it looked pretty damn good. And when it's overcast, it looks gray and very "New York" to me. I think it probably looks worst when it's clear and sunny, when there's almost no contrast between the windows and siding.

My wife thinks it looks like a Lego building.

Good reference.....

arbeiter · #**7708** Posted **Jun 22, 2010, 9:35 PM**

Lever House is not a bad thing to imitate - it is one of my personal favorite skyscrapers in the world.

ahealy · #**7709** Posted **Jun 22, 2010, 11:36 PM**

same here. I love the simplicity, yet close attention to tiny details. Especially on the facade of the ACL studio facing 2nd street..I mean Willie Nelson blvd

Downtown_Austin · #**7710** Posted **Jun 23, 2010, 2:28 PM**

chiming in late, but IMO, Austin's W-Hotel is the best looking building in Texas. Clean, elegant lines give it a beautiful monolithic appearance.

FWIW, my vote for the ugliest [new] tower in downtown is Legacy On The Lake. Looks like it was designed by an OU undergrad majoring in architecture...

Strayone · #**7711** Posted **Jun 23, 2010, 4:21 PM**

I guess I am OK with having all these new buildings to compare or complain about.

MichaelB · #**7712** Posted **Jun 24, 2010, 8:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

chiming in late, but IMO, Austin's W-Hotel is the best looking building in Texas. Clean, elegant lines give it a beautiful monolithic appearance.

FWIW, my vote for the ugliest [new] tower in downtown is Legacy On The Lake. Looks like it was designed by an OU undergrad majoring in architecture...

Would have to agree on the W. At the moment it is the best at being "what it is". IT;s mid-century silhouette with updated details/finish is quite lovely. And... I think the finish out on the ACL portion of the building will bring a very interesting contrast to the building.

And poor legacy! What makes it sooooo tragic is the failed attempt at capturing a "faux Frank Lloyd Wright" aesthetic. But I still think the king of dull is the Ashton. (and the units are soooooo late 90;s warm and fuzzy suburban...... arches and curved wall edges abound! )

ahealy · #**7713** Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 2:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Would have to agree on the W. At the moment it is the best at being "what it is". IT;s mid-century silhouette with updated details/finish is quite lovely. And... I think the finish out on the ACL portion of the building will bring a very interesting contrast to the building.

And poor legacy! What makes it sooooo tragic is the failed attempt at capturing a "faux Frank Lloyd Wright" aesthetic. But I still think the king of dull is the Ashton. (and the units are soooooo late 90;s warm and fuzzy suburban...... arches and curved wall edges abound! )

haha. I knoww. Even the hallways in the Ashton are pretty ghastly. I wish developers came up with more original ideas for these projects too. For instance, the "Ovation" project... There is another project named that in Atlanta by Novare I believe. Same with Ashton in Dallas. Big lack of originality!

AusTex · #**7714** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 2:10 PM**

The Legacy is ugly because of the materials used on the exterior...stucco...painted concrete. These materials work fine on lowrise buildings if they are mixed with other materials, however on a high rise they are simply

. They look CHEAP because they are cheap!

I believe the city needs to dis-allow these types of exteriors above about five stories.

The Hilton, Four Seasons, Monarch and the Legacy would all look much better had the exteriors been of different materials IMO.

nixcity · #**7715** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 3:19 PM**

Agreed austex, although I am a fan of sleek glass buildings it has been nice to have a variety.

arbeiter · #**7716** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

haha. I knoww. Even the hallways in the Ashton are pretty ghastly. I wish developers came up with more original ideas for these projects too. For instance, the "Ovation" project... There is another project named that in Atlanta by Novare I believe. Same with Ashton in Dallas. Big lack of originality!

Isn't that building (in Atlanta) nearly identical to the one you live in?

H2O · #**7717** Posted **Jun 26, 2010, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

I wish developers came up with more original ideas for these projects too. For instance, the "Ovation" project... There is another project named that in Atlanta by Novare I believe. Same with Ashton in Dallas. Big lack of originality!

It's called branding. Just like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Hilton Hotels, Exxon, Delta, etc. Development is a big business like all others.

Shasta · #**7718** Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 2:26 AM**

The W-Austin is the best building in Texas???

Really????

gardensoul · #**7719** Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 2:12 PM**

Check this out: http://impactnews.com/central-austin/283-news/8814-stakeholders-plan-future-of-downtown-districts

Be sure to click on the image.

nixcity · #**7720** Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 3:33 PM**

^Wow, we sure are going to need some major transportation adjustments for that to be viable. Could you imagine the traffic on 35 in that scenario. As it is rail is way behind growth.
I hope that so much emphasis on downtown does not deter from dense pockets in other areas of the city.