HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Texas & Southcentral > Austin


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Jan 26, 2010, 3:03 AM
KevinFromTexas's Avatar
KevinFromTexas KevinFromTexas is offline
Meh
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Austin <------------> Birmingham?
Posts: 57,332
The Future Is 2010

As a little kid, you might not be able to comprehend the future, but you do still wonder what it'll be like. What kind of person will you be, will you have kids, where will you live, what things will you do and be interested in. One thing I always wondered was what Austin might look like. What would home look like. I always pictured and had hoped our skyline would grow. Once I really got into skyscrapers during the 90s, I started to wonder if that would actually ever happen since our skyline had been so modest for so long. Now though things seem to be working out for our skyline with three new tallest this past decade. And instead of picturing our skyline to imagine it, I picture it to show it. So the future is 2010.



































Video Link
































The dog park at Auditorium Shores - Austin's front yard.




The Stevie Ray Vaughan statue on the shores of Lady Bird Lake commemorates one of Austin's favorite musicians. He played many concerts on the great lawn at Auditorium Shores. He died in 1990 in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin after a concert that included his brother Jimmie, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray. His funeral was 4 days later in Dallas. His brother Jimmie, his mother Martha Vaughan, and girlfriend were there, along with Stevie Wonder, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Nile Rogers. He was buried next to his father. This statue was built 4 years later along Austin's Hike & Bike Trail.




This goofy dog was out about 30 feet from the shore and was barking as he swam down the river.






































This is why Austin is called the city of the violet crown. Famous American writer, William Sydney Porter (pen name, O. Henry), wrote a line in his story: "Tictocq: The Great French Detective, In Austin" which was published in 1894.

Quote:
The drawing-rooms of one of the most magnificent private residences in Austin are ablaze of lights. Carriages line the streets in front, and from gate to doorway is spread a velvet carpet, on which the delicate feet of the guests may tread. The occasion is the entrée into society of one of the fairest buds in the City of the Violet Crown.
Another thought is that because Austin began to be called the Athens of the South, because of the University of Texas, that it was a reference to the same nickname for Athens, Greece. Around that time too, the Old Main at UT, which is now gone, used to be called the "The Parthenon of The University's Acropolis." It was completed 5 years before O. Henry wrote that phrase. O. Henry lived in Austin for a time while the Old Main was still under construction. He was fairly active in the community. The Old Main was demolished in 1935 to make way for the University of Texas Tower, which replaced the Old Main as the new one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry























































~ Thanks for looking.
__________________
My girlfriend's dog's name is Kevin, too.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Jan 26, 2010, 5:41 AM
wwmiv wwmiv is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin -> San Antonio -> Columbia -> San Antonio -> Chicago -> Austin -> Denver -> Austin
Posts: 5,405
Let's continue to imagine what the future holds.

There is still an abundance of empty space downtown in the form of parking - urban blight that should be replaced with towers as tall as possible.

The Seaholm redevelopment, T. Stacy, 21C, 7Rio, Seaholm Plaza Hotel, Novare/Andrews, etc have all stalled out but could get going as things recover domestically. The pent up demand (not real-estate demand. Monetary, etc.) left over from 2008 and 2009 might provide the impetus for all of these to get off the ground quickly (hopefully especially T. Stacy and 7Rio).

As things recover there will also be more proposals. Our skyline is still rather unimpressive except from choice views (the MoPac bridge is really the best vantage point). From my perspective, Austin will only begin have an impressive skyline when these things happen:

1. At least a single building over 800 feet. T. Stacy would obviously fulfill this.
2. Three to four buildings over 700 feet. The Seaholm redevelopment (if the buildings are as tall as thought) would get a start on that.
3. An impressively designed - unique - building.
4. Classy modern high rise infill. 20-25 story, mixed-use, ground level retail, glass exterior, airy & lightly colored, box-shaped, generic buildings to take up the rest of these parking lots to create some real density in our skyline.

Last edited by wwmiv; Jan 26, 2010 at 11:58 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2010, 10:26 PM
Jdawgboy's Avatar
Jdawgboy Jdawgboy is offline
Representing the ATX!!!
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Austin
Posts: 5,763
I think we will definatly see more infill with shorter highrises through parts of downtown over the next 10 years though I also hope and believe we will see another tallest hopefully T. Stacy tower. Austin has come along way and while I can agree partially with wwmiv that downtown still needs to have alittle more in downtown to truely be a very impressive skyline. Yet in the last few years we have already surpassed San Antonio in CBD skylines in Texas, something that is pretty impressive in a 10 year time span. in 2000, our downtown was short, stubby, and small for a city of our size and I think we have done well. Austin is looking good and is begining to feel more like a city of our population level as far as CBD goes. We need to also continue to build the urban core up. Hopefully if done right we will have a very dense central city in the comming years.
__________________
"GOOD TIMES!!!" Jerri Blank (Strangers With Candy)
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 2:18 AM
wwmiv wwmiv is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin -> San Antonio -> Columbia -> San Antonio -> Chicago -> Austin -> Denver -> Austin
Posts: 5,405
However, I also believe that there should be strict limits to the size of out skyline. I really don't want to end up with something San-Diego-esque.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 4:13 AM
Jdawgboy's Avatar
Jdawgboy Jdawgboy is offline
Representing the ATX!!!
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Austin
Posts: 5,763
Could you explain what you mean by strict limits? Austin already has Capital View Corridors. I do not believe we should have a height limit at all in downtown other than the CVC's. I also don't think its a good idea to limit growth in downtown because we have seen that a healthy downtown means a healthy city and region. If we put restrictions or strict limits, we could harm our growth and our city's health.
__________________
"GOOD TIMES!!!" Jerri Blank (Strangers With Candy)
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 4:21 AM
wwmiv wwmiv is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin -> San Antonio -> Columbia -> San Antonio -> Chicago -> Austin -> Denver -> Austin
Posts: 5,405
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdawgboy View Post
Could you explain what you mean by strict limits? Austin already has Capital View Corridors. I do not believe we should have a height limit at all in downtown other than the CVC's. I also don't think its a good idea to limit growth in downtown because we have seen that a healthy downtown means a healthy city and region. If we put restrictions or strict limits, we could harm our growth and our city's health.
No, not height limits! Design limits.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 4:55 AM
KevinFromTexas's Avatar
KevinFromTexas KevinFromTexas is offline
Meh
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Austin <------------> Birmingham?
Posts: 57,332
Quote:
Originally Posted by wwmiv View Post
However, I also believe that there should be strict limits to the size of out skyline. I really don't want to end up with something San-Diego-esque.
San Diego's skyline is decent in size, but it's not by any means the largest. And heightwise, Austin passed San Diego with the Frost Bank Tower.

Anyway, restricting height is one thing, which I hate the idea of, but you really can't restrict the size of downtown, or the number of buildings. Well, I guess you could. I mean if you really wanted to, the best way would be to screw up the economy! You can't limit the market though. Also, if dense, tall development doesn't go downtown, then where does it go?
__________________
My girlfriend's dog's name is Kevin, too.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 6:01 AM
wwmiv wwmiv is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin -> San Antonio -> Columbia -> San Antonio -> Chicago -> Austin -> Denver -> Austin
Posts: 5,405
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas View Post
San Diego's skyline is decent in size, but it's not by any means the largest. And heightwise, Austin passed San Diego with the Frost Bank Tower.

Anyway, restricting height is one thing, which I hate the idea of, but you really can't restrict the size of downtown, or the number of buildings. Well, I guess you could. I mean if you really wanted to, the best way would be to screw up the economy! You can't limit the market though. Also, if dense, tall development doesn't go downtown, then where does it go?
Oh no no no! You misunderstand! The FAA restricts height in San Diego to 500 feet because of the airport, so it really isn't very hard to surpass San Diego. I hate the design/style of the buildings there. Same goes for Miami and Vancouver and any other skyline that is made up of luxury condos. I think design standards to maximize the amount of glass downtown is the way to go. Height limits are dumb also IMO because they limit what 'natural' contours emerge from the pattern in the vertical plane of the buildings. When you outgrow a single downtown from the size of the market, that is the time to build/plan a secondary center (or at least plan ahead so that one can emerge).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 4:47 PM
TXAlex's Avatar
TXAlex TXAlex is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 341
San Diego is kind of odd but not that terrible.


Last edited by TXAlex; Jan 29, 2010 at 11:49 PM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2010, 6:29 PM
Mopacs's Avatar
Mopacs Mopacs is offline
Austinite
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Austin.TX.USA
Posts: 4,587
Ah, the future ain't what it used to be

Great shots and introduction Kevin! It really is amazing how much this skyline has changed. Hopefully this coming decade won't be a repeat of the 90s, when high-rise construction suffered a long-term drought.
__________________
Austin.Texas.USA
Home of the 2005 National Champion Texas Longhorns
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2010, 3:06 AM
KevinFromTexas's Avatar
KevinFromTexas KevinFromTexas is offline
Meh
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Austin <------------> Birmingham?
Posts: 57,332
San Diego has a nice skyline of course. I would love to pluck some towers from there and move them here. I had mentioned this in another post, but my gripe/concern with some condominium towers, is that they can be disconnected from the city. Some might not have street level retail and might not be pedestrian friendly or inviting. Garage entrances and exits might be in the wrong place, like on a street that should or does favor pedestrians. That can stop or hinder the pedestrian traffic flow. So far we seem to be doing the right thing there. We aren't just adding towers to the skyline, we're adding buildings, retail and life to downtown streets. That just needs to continue. The one building I can gripe about now, is Ashton, since it doesn't have any retail. Everything else has been positive.
__________________
My girlfriend's dog's name is Kevin, too.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2010, 4:48 PM
AustinSkyscrapers's Avatar
AustinSkyscrapers AustinSkyscrapers is offline
Going Up ___///|||
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 700
Ah, great pictures Kevin! I'm on that the T. Stacy Tower being built. But I wish that Austin won't blow itself up with mega-towers like the Big Apple. Our skyline is currently showing with a clean new-decade look. I want the skyline to be spacious (yet not too spacious).

I certainly do not want the Nahua Tower to be built! That will ruin this look on the Austin skyline. I do like the design, however-unique in its on way.
__________________
-------------------------------------
Austin, SkyscraperPage Forum, Me!
-------------------------------------
A Note:
New Tallest In Austin
"Curiosity killed the cat"

Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2010, 11:35 PM
llamaorama llamaorama is offline
Unicorn Wizard!
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,240
Aesthetically, what I want in addition to height is bulk. NY or Chicago style buildings that create those traditional sidewalk vistas and urban atmosphere. In terms of big towers though I wish Frost was taller so it could be the biggest, I guess because it has such a dramatic crown.

Also glassy Vancouver buildings are getting overdone these days, I wonder what the next trend in architecture will be? Though I guess that's like the "new sound", you really can't define or predict it, it just happens and you know it.
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Texas & Southcentral > Austin
Forum Jump



Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 4:55 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.