Austin | Block 185/Google Tower #2 | 594 Feet | 35 Floors | Complete - Page 35

the Genral · #**681** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 11:05 PM**

Now for an original thought...it, at the least, breaks up all the boxes. The shape is most welcomed. Really wish these developers would take a page out of the BoA building at 6th and Congress, disguise the parking garage by continuing the façade from ground to top.

the Genral · #**682** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 11:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Either way, this is going to be our most iconic building.

Well....if you don't include the Capitol Building and UT Tower, and what's heading down the pike.

We vs us · #**683** Posted **Jan 31, 2019, 11:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by claustrum

ATX Real Estate News confirmed today (thanks to a Brandywine quarterly report) that Google is leasing the whole building.

This clears up the Salesforce rumor, too, to a degree. Looks like they get Republic Square after all.

lzppjb · #**684** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 2:46 AM**

I love this. I didn't even notice the podium. Eyes will be drawn upward. But I agree that I hope they cover the podium up a little better.

Syndic · #**685** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 3:54 AM**

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate fat buildings. They're almost always ugly. It's really really hard to make them look good. And this one doesn't really succeed.

So many things wrong with it; the way the lines at the top go diagonally downward instead of just going across (this makes my OCD flair up), the parking podium. You can't have an ugly parking podium like that facing the lake. That's just a crime.

The height is good, the greenery is lipstick on a pig.

I say scrap it and start over tbh.

But I guess they're... building it? Yay

Sigaven · #**686** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 5:18 AM**

Wow, are you kidding me? The parking podium is front and center, clearly visible monstrosity from the most attractive view of the building (from the lake). I sure hope they do a better job at disguising the parking structure than they do in this rendering. It seems like newer buildings in this town are just giving up on that. Given the renderings of the Independent and its similarities in "masking" the parking garage to this one, I don't have hope. Really disappointed at this solution given that this is a "starchitect"-designed building of otherwise beautiful quality. Let's hope it's not value engineered to metal mesh like the atrocity a block north.

starboy92 · #**687** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 9:36 AM**

mmm I'm sorry this is one is well subjectively bad I guess. Keep the Diagonal Sail but enough with the Staircase Block setup you have 2 towers in the same vicinity with that already. I just can't empathise with the praise for this one.

mumu · #**688** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 1:12 PM**

https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...owntown-austin

"Trammell Crow closed on the purchase of Block 185 on Jan. 15, according to Greg Kiloh, the city’s redevelopment project manager. The purchase price was about $10.27 million, an amount negotiated and agreed to in the 2012 master development agreement between the city and Trammell Crow, Kiloh said."

That's about $175 a square foot for the land. Doesn't that seem low? Why would the city give away land this cheap?

Land is more expensive in West Campus by a long shot!

smith_atx · #**689** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 1:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by starboy92

mmm I'm sorry this is one is well subjectively bad I guess. Keep the Diagonal Sail but enough with the Staircase Block setup you have 2 towers in the same vicinity with that already. I just can't empathise with the praise for this one.

I think (could be wrong) the step backs are probably a requirement for that block. Either that or they may not be able to economically build it since they probably want to maximize possible floor area.

East7thStreet · #**690** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 2:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mumu

https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...owntown-austin

"Trammell Crow closed on the purchase of Block 185 on Jan. 15, according to Greg Kiloh, the city’s redevelopment project manager. The purchase price was about $10.27 million, an amount negotiated and agreed to in the 2012 master development agreement between the city and Trammell Crow, Kiloh said."

That's about $175 a square foot for the land. Doesn't that seem low? Why would the city give away land this cheap?

Land is more expensive in West Campus by a long shot!

That's definitely cheap at today's prices. Crazy how much the downtown land market has increased in just the last 6-7 years.

P.S. Nate Paul is one lucky SOB.🌝

Azul · #**691** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 2:40 PM**

I guess it's an unpopular opinion, but I love this building. A lot of your concerns are legitimate but I'd say many of them are mainly due to the design and economic impacts of our land development code more than the ownership cheaping-out. Block 185 isn't a perfect building but it's very unique and is taking some risks which is exactly the direction I want to see new developments following in the future. Here's a better rendering that I think shows what sort of skyline impact this one will have and how stunning it could look from Zilker.

deerhoof · #**692** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 2:50 PM**

Where did this rendering come from? This is really cool looking! Thanks for sharing.

I wonder why it looks so short compared to 360 if it's 589 feet. Does the land slope down that much from 360 to Block 185 or is the rendering not accurate?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azul

I guess it's an unpopular opinion, but I love this building. A lot of your concerns are legitimate but I'd say many of them are mainly due to the design and economic impacts of our land development code more than the ownership cheaping-out. Block 185 isn't a perfect building but it's very unique and is taking some risks which is exactly the direction I want to see new developments following in the future. Here's a better rendering that I think shows what sort of skyline impact this one will have and how stunning it could look from Zilker.

Azul · #**693** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by deerhoof

Thanks for sharing.

I wonder why it looks so short compared to 360 if it's 589 feet. Does the land slope down that much from 360 to Block 185 or is the rendering not accurate?

From the looks of it the renderings appear to have stitched together pictures of the existing buildings and some of the buildings like the Independent that weren't complete yet. To me the 360 just looks mis-scaled.

The ATX · #**694** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 3:04 PM**

And 360 is almost as tall as the Indy in that rendering. Renderings are not reliable for measuring heights.

ahealy · #**695** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 3:21 PM**

Azul, I do not think a lot of folks on here dislike this?? If we're talking about unpopular....third & shoal....

That render is awesome. It's like a 21st century version of 111 Congress. Totally here for those silhouettes

loonytoony · #**696** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 4:49 PM**

I love it personally. It's going to break up all the boxes.

GoldenBoot · #**697** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 6:03 PM**

This type of architecture is needed. It will force future developers to think more about aesthetic architectural design than simply putting up a 500'/600' box tower. Competition is key - margins will be higher in more interesting architectural towers than simple boxes.

This tower, Block 71 and The Republic (if built) would be game changers in the history and development of Austin's skyline. The developers of these towers can demand higher rents than someone in, lets say, Third&Shoal (and obviously older towers).

KevinFromTexas · #**698** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 6:11 PM**

The scales are definitely off in that last rendering. Just look at the difference in height between Third + Shoal and Austin Proper. Those two buildings are only 8 feet apart in height, but that looks to be about 30 feet in that rendering. The scale of 360 is also way off. The roof of 360 is only 474 feet, and while Third + Shoal is 389 feet, that rendering is showing it considerably more than 100 feet taller. Nevermind that the spire of 360, which tops out at only 581 feet, appears to be level with the main roof of The Independent which is 643 feet.

Anyway, I'm good with it. Yes, I wish they'd do more to conceal the garage levels, and as I mentioned, I wish the west and south facades had been flipped with each other for the reasons I mentioned in my previous post, but otherwise, this is going to be one of the most iconic buildings in Texas.

I actually like the bulk of it. I remember thinking while watching Third + Shoal and Austin proper go up how ridiculous it seemed to me to have them be two separate buildings. I know they were developed and designed by different companies, but it just seemed funny to have two buildings of relatively the same size and height and be so close together. I always thought why not just join them. Their small size, facades and color is going to contrast with Block 185 in a way that will make it stand out even more. It's also going to pierce that 400 foot plateau in an awesome way. I love that this building will be visible even from the north/northeast above that plateau. I've said it all along, but Third + Shoal didn't need to be a glitzy design because of the intense density going on there, it wouldn't have made sense. Even Austin Proper is pretty boring except for the west facade where it's most visible.

We vs us · #**699** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 7:08 PM**

Even though that last rendering is weirdly scaled, I really want more pics that put Block 185 in context. Alone, it's kind of hard to see and understand. For whatever reason it helps if it sits in and amongst the other buildings on the skyline.

But GoldenBoot is right -- the city needs more daring buildings, and this will push up against a lot of comfort zones.

smith_atx · #**700** Posted **Feb 1, 2019, 7:15 PM**

Imagine that Zilker view with this, The Republic, and 6x built.