AUSTIN | Waterline | 1,034 Feet | 73 Floors | T/O

[ATXboom]

WOW. This project appears to have funding and will break ground late this year.

http://m.statesman.com/news/business/ny-investment-firm-joins-400-million-waller-creek-/nfHdH/

Can u imagine this and convention hotel going up at same time? Talk about transformative...

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

WOW. This project appears to have funding and will break ground late this year.

http://m.statesman.com/news/business/ny-investment-firm-joins-400-million-waller-creek-/nfHdH/

Can u imagine this and convention hotel going up at same time? Talk about transformative...

McCourt Global is the one of the investment arms of the former owner of the LA Dodgers, the one who had the messy divorce that forced the sale of the Dodgers. McCourt Global is Frank McCourt, McCourt's two sons, and a wealthy investment entity known as Guggenheim Partners. Anyway, they have DEEP pockets. Looks like little old Sutton and Associates was able to lure some big money to this project. Let's hope it remains a go because it will almost certainly mean that the Fairmont project gets off the ground too. It will mean a whole new dynamic for downtown Austin.

http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/frank-mccourts-new-ballgame/

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Actually, the best examples of starchitecture do age well. The Chrysler Building, for example, was considered as such during it's time, yet we all love it now.

You're basically suggesting that the Frost Building will eventually be considered an eyesore on our skyline, because it's of the same mold.

I already dislike the Frost Tower and think it looks like a building you'd find in a small town. I don't really think it's starchitecture, but I much prefer other buildings in Austin.

Most examples of contemporary starchitecture will be in weird Lady Gaga-esque oblong shapes in order to attempt to look different (for e.g. Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry), not classic-looking buildings like the Christler Building. I call it Gagaist architecture and it just needs to go away. You wouldn't dress your kids in funky, awkward closing, so why dress your city in funky, awkward buildings? Especially considering buildings are semi-permanent. I tend to prefer a more conservative approach to designing buildings, letting styles change on their own over time, and take calculated risks.

[Jdawgboy]

The Frost Tower is an iconic and well recognized building. The reason why I say this is due to several factors. One I believe it was either Law and Order or NCIS though ill have to double check. In the most recent episode, the scene has some detectives walking into an office high up in a tower with a view of the New York skyline through the windows. The camera angle changes facing the detectives and wouldn't you know, on the wall in clear full view was a framed picture of none other than the Frost Bank Tower. Now of all the buildings they could have had in a picture on the wall, why do you think it was Frost? TV sets are set up with specific decor, they don't just throw in any old thing (unless it was low budget maybe and even then there needs to be a cohesive and complementing set.) The fact that the picture was clearly visible means they want the audience to notice it. Anyone who knows anything about Austin would immediately recognize that building. As far as I know there is no other building in the country exactly like it.

I play a mobile game called Metropolis which is kinda like Sim City. They use a lot of iconic buildings from around the world and guess what. There is a building that is exactly like Frost Bank. The only building ive seen that is definitely Austin's.

Frost is an icon of the city and it is a beautiful tower. Ive heard people comment from other cities that Frost is their favorite high rise. It was the best thing that could have ever happened because it broke the ceiling for future taller highrises.

As far as the latest design of Waller Creek Center, I will hold off on my opinion. To be honest I have not decided yet. As others have said I do think the design program that was used plays apart on how it is looking and as also mentioned, I wouldn't be suprised to see an updated final rendering. These renderings don't seem cleaned up just yet.

[IluvATX]

Jdawg do you mean Megalopolis? I love that game. Also, this Wikipedia article details real life architectural styles for anyone that's curious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_style

[lzppjb]

I love the Frost Bank tower. I don't care for the base much, but the tower is gorgeous. If it had been 200 or so feet taller, it'd be epic.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I love the Frost Bank tower. I don't care for the base much, but the tower is gorgeous. If it had been 200 or so feet taller, it'd be epic.

I totally agree. I love the design. However, it should have been in the 700-800 foot range!

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by IluvATX

Jdawg do you mean Megalopolis? I love that game. Also, this Wikipedia article details real life architectural styles for anyone that's curious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_style

Yes that's what it's called, thanks for correcting the name. I was in class at the time I wrote that so didn't have time to check it.

I definitely agree that Frost should have been taller. Maybe one day a sibling tower in the 800 to 1,000 foot range could be built based off of Frost but with a more complex crown.

Now that ive taken a better look of the Waller Towers, im on the fence about what I think. Both arguments are valid about the design. It looks like they have merged the towers into a single base but I could be wrong. I wouldn't like it if they did that. From the recent articles, it sounds to me like they have not hammered out the final details as they continue to say the tallest tower could have more than 50 floors. I think we will see another set of renderings come out before all is said and done. With the new financial backer, they may have some say in the overal design of the complex.