AUSTIN | Photos & Videos Thread

[Riverranchdrone]

[IMG]08222018 (3 of 26) by partyboyrrock, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]08222018 (4 of 26) by partyboyrrock, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]08222018 (17 of 26) by partyboyrrock, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]08222018 (19 of 26) by partyboyrrock, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]08222018 (22 of 26) by partyboyrrock, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]08222018 (26 of 26) by partyboyrrock, on Flickr[/IMG]

[clubtokyo]

Wow! Incredible pictures!

[The ATX]

Great photos RRD. This one just became my desktop.

[Geckos_Rule]

Those really make 3rd + Shoal look skinny.

That one from over the Parmer Events Center is awesome!

[resansom]

From the Independent webcam:

Having watched this view change dramatically over the past 10 years, or so, I have to say that I have mixed feelings about the current state of Austin's "west end."

In terms of the number and size of buildings, I'm very impressed. Even as slow as it seems that it can take to go from rumors to speculation to the first renderings to the often painful revision and approval process to site preparation to ground breaking to the first concrete pour to the first above ground floor to the months of construction to first appearance of glass/finish to topping out, to the cranes coming down and, ultimately, to finally opening, you have to admit that few places outside of China and UAE have seen such transformative growth in comparable periods of time.

However, in terms of what was actually built vs. what might have been, I have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed. Plateau effect aside, the overall lack of creativity, aesthetics, and bold design leave me thinking that Austin deserved something more - something better.

I don't want to say that nothing good has been built - I'm especially happy that the Independent's builders and designers were able to break out of the "blue glass rectangle" mold. And I know that more - and, hopefully, better - buildings are on the way. I hope that the developers and designers of those buildings are inspired by what has come so far - not so much by what has been built but by what has not been built.

I would love to hear what the rest of you veteran contributors think about the way things are shaping up in that part of downtown.

[the Genral]

I could nit-pick about what I like or don't like about the buildings on the west side, like the top of Bowie and the bottom of the Independent, but honestly, I'm happy with the current arrangement. I see a major add coming soon in front of the proper. The styling in some cases seem generic. I'm a fan of Spring, Seaholm, 360, 5th and West, Indy. The rest are ok. There were some interesting renderings for the water treatment site. We might have missed on a few nice possibilities including a proposal that included an HEB, but overall I like what I see, when not too terribly long ago, there was virtually nothing there. I would be ok if there was room for only one or two more towers in that area. Time to expand north. I relish in the fact that the best is yet to come.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Great photos RRD. This one just became my desktop.

Great minds...this one below became mine

Originally Posted by Riverranchdrone

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by resansom

I would love to hear what the rest of you veteran contributors think about the way things are shaping up in that part of downtown.

I definitely see your perspective, and I too am profoundly fatigued by blue glass in general right now, let alone on a box, but I have no complaints about what we've already got so far. Emphasis on that last bit because I feel like just in this view there will be a lot more filling in to come. Even with all that's been built, the latest surge of new projects recently, right as this whole slew are wrapping up, lets me know there's way more steam left in this machine.

What you say about the level of the transformation is true. You have places like San Francisco, LA, Philadelphia and Miami who have seen their skylines expand dramatically, but none of those started from as low a baseline. This skyline manifested overnight and from thin air. I feel like it looks a little monotonous because so much of these buildings are from the present or recent past and therefore all reflect a similar contemporary architecture, but that will change over time I'm sure (I hope?). That's why the area at the top of Congress Avenue looks the most textured to me, because it's got some history.

I must say that of all the stacked box designs I've seen, the Independent is hands-down the most elegant. It also appears to be the first of a bunch of more daring designs that are now coming down the pike, shapes that aren't rectangles, which is exciting. I've always sort of felt like Austin's highrise aesthetic has been very literal geometric forms that almost look like a city a kid built with toy blocks. Every building has a shape or a geometric feature that could be on a chart in a math textbook. It cracks me up

In fact, I saw a wishlist on the Independent thread and it feels appropriate here:
- a building with BROWN or GOLD glass. Give me a 111 Congress or One American Center for a new generation.
- tear down the state parking garage and build a not-blue glass big building.
- tear out the ridiculous power station and build a beautiful plaza for the neighborhood to coalesce around...or a not-blue glass big building.

ALSO OMG my 2,000th post whaaat

[Jdawgboy]

There really isn't that much in the way of blue glass with the new buildings in the West end. The Independent has a silvery hue, Spring, Seaholm and 3rd and Shoal have a green hue. Proper, 5th @ West, the Google tower have different shades of glass. Northshore is closer to black. Google (500 2nd) is the closest the blue besides 360.

As much as I've complained about how boxy most of the recent buildings have been, I think the West End looks striking and elegant. From a certain perspective it's like the buildings were designed to complement each other, and in a sense they were. It's a skyline in it's own right that will only get better in the coming years. It's amazing to think that it really wasn't all that long ago that not one major building existed west of Guadalupe.

[Sigaven]

Northshore seems to have dark brown glass. In any case it's definitely not blue and is a nice break from the shades of blue monotony in the area.

[ahealy]

I'm quite pleased with the street level interaction and finishes. I've never really been into the original 2nd street district design and feel. All of it seemed very cheap and baby urban to me. What I see with this new "west end" is a solid functional urban neighborhood....it's not perfect though. It's kind of mind boggling to think there was NOTHING down there less than 5 years ago.

I do just see blue on the skyline down there though and I know certain lots are missing out on something daring and original. I'm really crossing my fingers 185 has heavy pink, gold or brown elements do it.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

Great minds...this one below became mine

Wicked Shot....that sky....wow!

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

ALSO OMG my 2,000th post whaaat

: :

I remember my 1000, 2000 and soon to be 3000 posts and danced alone...I didn't want your taco to dance alone. Congrats and thank you for your contributions to the forum

[wwmiv]

https://imgur.com/a/sKRVzJN

A preview of what Austin's skyline would look like if all major proposed projects were built (and whats under construction now finished). In addition, I threw in a 1200' tower at the post office block to show that a supertall would no longer look out of place.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by the Genral

: :

I remember my 1000, 2000 and soon to be 3000 posts and danced alone...I didn't want your taco to dance alone. Congrats and thank you for your contributions to the forum

hats off to you, Genral, thank you! I chose a taco for good reason, it worked out that my 2K would be in the Austin forums. Thanks all y'all for keeping me updated on my adopted and estranged hometown.

Also, I should have clarified that I'm probably just at glass curtain wall exhaustion, but offices these days will be what they will be. I do hope we see more new colors and textures in future developments that stand out in a different way. Also, wwmiv that projection is wild, thanks for that

[Echostatic]

Wow. A supertall makes the Austonian look short.
These next 5-10 years are going to totally reshape the skyline, more than the last 10-15.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

https://imgur.com/a/sKRVzJN

A preview of what Austin's skyline would look like if all major proposed projects were built (and whats under construction now finished). In addition, I threw in a 1200' tower at the post office block to show that a supertall would no longer look out of place.

Awesome!

[lzppjb]

This was tonight at House Park.

Pano (too big to post): http://i68.tinypic.com/2n9x91z.jpg

[Syndic]

Pro-tip: if you upload to imgur then add an h to the end of the URL it makes it the perfect size to post here. https://i.imgur.com/chT0Nk7h.jpg Great shot. I love this time of year.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Pro-tip: if you upload to imgur then add an h to the end of the URL it makes it the perfect size to post here. https://i.imgur.com/chT0Nk7h.jpg Great shot. I love this time of year.

Good to know. Thanks. I've started using tinypic because imgur doesn't work on all forums anymore.

These are 2 different photos. The pano is wider than the one shown, and earlier in the evening.