AUSTIN | Fairmont Hotel | 595 FEET SPIRE/456 FT ROOF | 37 FLRS | Complete

[Colo Designer]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

I'm not sure whether this is one of those "Plinth towers" or not (where you have a 5-6 floor parking garage base with a tower on top), but it does remind me...hopefully one day we will have a public transportation system comprehensive enough to where we can eliminate the "plinth" from the plinth towers! They create such dead streetscapes.

The "plinth" as you call it is all space to be used by humans; Hotel Offices & staff areas, a Spa, dining & lounging spaces, meeting rooms & two ballrooms, one above the other along with pre-function and food support spaces for each ballroom. The parking is in four levels below ground.

[GoldenBoot]

For $350+ million - Austin gets The JW Marriott Austin tower

For ~$350 million - Austin gets The Fairmont Austin & W Hotel & Residences towers

For $400 million - San Diego gets The Ritz Carlton


PATHETIC!

Not only is the design a million times better, but, it's California - where everything (including construction) is more expensive.

Commercial development costs are about 20% higher in San Diego than anywhere in Texas. So, if this holds true, The Ritz Carlton San Diego mixed use development (as currently conceived) would cost between $320-$350 million to build in Texas.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

For $350+ million - Austin gets The JW Marriott Austin tower

For ~$350 million - Austin gets The Fairmont Austin & W Hotel & Residences towers

For $400 million - San Diego gets The Ritz Carlton


PATHETIC!

Not only is the design a million times better, but, it's California - where everything (including construction) is more expensive.

Commercial development costs are about 20% higher in San Diego than anywhere in Texas. So, if this holds true, The Ritz Carlton San Diego mixed use development (as currently conceived) would cost between $320-$350 million to build in Texas.

Yeah, Austin can sometimes have REALLY low standards for beautiful architecture. There's no good excuse that The Fairmont has been downgraded to a big blue box with a pole on top... Or the Proper going from giant pyramid to an OKAY tiered box.

[lzppjb]

How much for the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac?


http://q-ec.bstatic.com/images/hotel...4/46487422.jpg

[futures]

I'm not overly impressed with that design, but yeah I agree that most new builds here are sub-par. Some are pure trash.

Austin is not the tourist destination that San Diego is though. Even though we are closing the gap in population size, SD has professional sports, amusement parks, and the ocean.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by futures

I'm not overly impressed with that design, but yeah I agree that most new builds here are sub-par. Some are pure trash.

Austin is not the tourist destination that San Diego is though. Even though we are closing the gap in population size, SD has professional sports, amusement parks, and the ocean.

Hmm...I hear you but also kinda disagree. Austin is more of an IT city than SD (as beautiful as SD is) which is why I don't buy any of the reasons that we can't step our game up. I'm of course not including population or geographical amenities here.

Bottom line: The Fairmont did not need to downgrade so severely.

[futures]

Originally Posted by ahealy

Hmm...I hear you but also kinda disagree. Austin is more of an IT city than SD (as beautiful as SD is) which is why I don't buy any of the reasons that we can't step our game up. I'm of course not including population or geographical amenities here.

Bottom line: The Fairmont did not need to downgrade so severely.

Yeah, I share in your frustration. Austin IS an "it" city... I'm surprised that there isn't a developer / architect out there willing to make a big splash on a city that gets so much national press.

On the hotel front, we definitely attract younger visitors as opposed to big family trips though, which is probably why we have like 5 Alofts under construction, and cities like SD get a Ritz.

[drummer]

I think Fairmont could have been significantly better (the design we all loved would have been awesome). However, it could have been significantly worse than what we're getting also...look at the hotel wasteland several blocks north, for instance...

That said, I hope that the powers that be and developers can get their heads on straight and start building more unique (not overly crazy, but tastefully unique) buildings that the entire city can be proud of for decades to come.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

For $350+ million - Austin gets The JW Marriott Austin tower

For ~$350 million - Austin gets The Fairmont Austin & W Hotel & Residences towers

For $400 million - San Diego gets The Ritz Carlton


PATHETIC!

Not only is the design a million times better, but, it's California - where everything (including construction) is more expensive.

Commercial development costs are about 20% higher in San Diego than anywhere in Texas. So, if this holds true, The Ritz Carlton San Diego mixed use development (as currently conceived) would cost between $320-$350 million to build in Texas.

Meh. That thing is pretty awful. I'll give you guys that the Fairmount could have been better (I don't really like it), but I'd gladly take the JW Marriott and especially the W over that thing in San Diego. The only time I could support an idea like that is if the site justified it. I've never been a fan of skybridges or buildings with holes in them, but if you had a special case with a historic building on the site and you wanted to buy the air rights above it and build something like that, then that would be ok. But to have a full block and do it doesn't really make sense.

[lzppjb]

Let's compare our Fairmont to others in the U.S.

Ours


gensler.com


Berkeley


Fairmont.com

Boston


Fairmont.com

Chicago


hotels.com

Dallas


cpexecutive.com

Hawaii


Fairmont.com

Maui


Fairmont.com

New York


cpp-luxury.com

Newport Beach


tripadvisor.com

Pittsburgh


contractdesign.com


expedia.com

San Diego


booking.com

San Francisco 1


Fairmont.com

San Francisco 2


quintess.com

San Jose


booking.com

Santa Monica


westlandtraveler.com

Scottsdale


scottsdaleprincess.com

Seattle


coryparris.com

Sonoma


travelchannel.com

Telluride


expedia.com

Washington D.C.


Fairmont.com

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Meh. That thing is pretty awful. I'll give you guys that the Fairmount could have been better (I don't really like it), but I'd gladly take the JW Marriott and especially the W over that thing in San Diego. The only time I could support an idea like that is if the site justified it. I've never been a fan of skybridges or buildings with holes in them, but if you had a special case with a historic building on the site and you wanted to buy the air rights above it and build something like that, then that would be ok. But to have a full block and do it doesn't really make sense.

Man I'm glad I'm not alone with my opinion of the SD Fairmont. I agree with Kevin but I'll add that I'm glad cities like SD also get these attempts at decent architecture but fall short. This thing looks interesting, perhaps it will be their signature tower, but it looks too busy with elements I don't care for, like skybridges and notches. I'm glad we didn't get it. That being said, our Fairmont will always disappoint those of us who saw the original render. Its like being shown prime rib and being served sirloin, sirloin isn't bad, but it ain't prime rib. Architecturally, it seems we are stuck in meh gear.

[The ATX]

I had brunch at Boiler Nine at Seaholm this afternoon, so I snapped a few quick photos of some projects. Here's the Fairmont making an appearance on 2nd Street.

St:

[JoninATX]

Even though we as forumers are divided about how The Fairmont looks, I have to say at least we are getting a spire out of it. Also if you look closely, it looks as if the base of the tower is getting a lighting scheme.



https://www.facebook.com/FairmontAustin/?fref=ts

[drummer]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Even though we as forumers are divided about how The Fairmont looks, I have to say at least we are getting a spire out of it. Also if you look closely, it looks as if the base of the tower is getting a lighting scheme.



https://www.facebook.com/FairmontAustin/?fref=ts

Do you mean the far right of the base? If what I'm seeing is it, it seems like that's the side that would face Cesar Chavez to the south, right?

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by drummer

Do you mean the far right of the base? If what I'm seeing is it, it seems like that's the side that would face Cesar Chavez to the south, right?

Correct, the far right side of the base. But I'm also thinking that the front side will be decorated in lights as well.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Correct, the far right side of the base. But I'm also thinking that the front side will be decorated in lights as well.

That could be a pleasant surprise then.

[Jdawgboy]

There are a lot of nice Fairmont hotel designs, some of course are refurbished older buldings. One thing that makes ours stand out is the number of rooms it will have. Only the Fairmont in Toronto will have more rooms.

There's no doubt that I would have loved the original design but it's not too bad in its final form. I think if the fact that we have a large rectangle with the JW makes it less appealing and even the JW isn't just a glass rectangle but has some other design elements including the white wing that juts out. I'd really like to see a change with future hotels. Proper is at least a start. I guess Aloft is too except the south facing wall is still bothering me.

Lighting is going to be the next test, will they light the crown? Will the spire have some sort of lighting? Will the lighting be bland or will it have some color and vibrancy?

[We vs us]

Worth noting that this isn't so much a Fairmont hotel as a Manchester hotel. If you look at what they've built in the past this makes much more sense. Fairmont is really just the management company, and the brand that's agreed to work with the Manchesters on their project.

[clubtokyo]

I am happy with this tower, its massive! Every time someone visits me from out of town, they mention how wide it is. Austin needs this tower, hopefully the next eye catcher will be more interesting.

[StoOgE]

Yeah, I'm not sure why we are showing photos of things like the Plaza that were built long before Fairmont took over management of them as "proof" of what the building should look like.