AUSTIN | Aloft Austin & Element Hotel Downtown | 328 FEET | 31 FLOORS | Complete

[Nickelplate]

The Westin and any other development along the 6th street corridor should not have any leg to stand on. This is Austin and that is why those people staying in their hotels are here. 6th street was here and the music scene was here long before them. There are plenty of locations to build your hotel and not mess with the integrity of what makes this city unique. Dont fix the bar fix the hotel...

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Nickelplate

The Westin and any other development along the 6th street corridor should not have any leg to stand on. This is Austin and that is why those people staying in their hotels are here. 6th street was here and the music scene was here long before them. There are plenty of locations to build your hotel and not mess with the integrity of what makes this city unique. Dont fix the bar fix the hotel...

hear hear

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Nickelplate

The Westin and any other development along the 6th street corridor should not have any leg to stand on. This is Austin and that is why those people staying in their hotels are here. 6th street was here and the music scene was here long before them. There are plenty of locations to build your hotel and not mess with the integrity of what makes this city unique. Dont fix the bar fix the hotel...

Thank you!

[hereinaustin]

Originally Posted by Nickelplate

The Westin and any other development along the 6th street corridor should not have any leg to stand on. This is Austin and that is why those people staying in their hotels are here. 6th street was here and the music scene was here long before them. There are plenty of locations to build your hotel and not mess with the integrity of what makes this city unique. Dont fix the bar fix the hotel...

I agree.

Honestly, the Westin hasn't done nearly enough sound-proofing and there are a lot of things they can still do to further mitigate the impact of all the noise. They definitely don't need to go the legal route if they want to foster good will with the community.

[Flatiron]

1/24-17
My kind of building:

[wwmiv]

The blank wall now works (in the perspective of the above photo, not the one beneath), IMHO, because of the separation from the detailed facade by windows. I love it (from this angle).

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

The blank wall now works, IMHO, because of the separation from the detailed facade by windows. I love it.

Wait - are you saying they added those separating windows to the blank wall side?

[MichaelB]

the "blank wall" is on the south side. These are the east and north facades.

[corvairkeith]

A few from last Saturday. I don't know what was going on but there sure seemed to be a lot of people downtown that afternoon.

[clubtokyo]

I just don't understand the blank wall....surely this is for a mural? They could have continued the patter and chose not to... what is the rhyme and reason?

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by corvairkeith

A few from last Saturday. I don't know what was going on but there sure seemed to be a lot of people downtown that afternoon.

Women's March!

[lzppjb]

I thought the blank walls we complain about were because of a city rule. Am I wrong? Something about neighboring properties.

[futures]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

I just don't understand the blank wall....surely this is for a mural? They could have continued the patter and chose not to... what is the rhyme and reason?

They kept that patterned part over the Aloft portion of the blank wall, and continued the bare section to match the Element section of the hotel.

I understand why they did it, but it was the wrong choice. Should have continued the Aloft pattern throughout the whole blank wall.

Would be a great spot for a mural, but I really doubt they will do it.

[AustinYIMBY]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I thought the blank walls we complain about were because of a city rule. Am I wrong? Something about neighboring properties.

I believe it has to do with fire code and air rights. With the fire code, you can't build a building that has windows abutting the building next to it. Since that part of the building it right on the property line, there would be no space between it and a potential future neighbor, who also builds right up to their property line. The reason the other walls were able to have windows is because two sides are fronting the road, and the other wall is next to The Driskill, a historic building, which will most likely never expand higher. Aloft may own the air rights on top of the historic building, ensuring that nothing will ever be built above it. If you do not have the air rights of the adjacent properties, you can't assume that there will never be a building right next to you.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by kadingpa

I believe it has to do with fire code and air rights. With the fire code, you can't build a building that has windows abutting the building next to it. Since that part of the building it right on the property line, there would be no space between it and a potential future neighbor, who also builds right up to their property line. The reason the other walls were able to have windows is because two sides are fronting the road, and the other wall is next to The Driskill, a historic building, which will most likely never expand higher. Aloft may own the air rights on top of the historic building, ensuring that nothing will ever be built above it. If you do not have the air rights of the adjacent properties, you can't assume that there will never be a building right next to you.

We don't have a legal framework for air rights in Austin, just fyi.

[AustinYIMBY]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

We don't have a legal framework for air rights in Austin, just fyi.

Gotcha, thanks. I knew that they varied from state to state. It is a pretty interesting seeing how some places define/enforce air rights.

[smith_atx]

Blank wall idea : Link

Actually for the Aloft building I imagine there is lots of shading so in reality it wouldn't be a good idea, but it could work in other areas.

[Urbannizer]

Untitled by Darius Fontenette, on Flickr

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Untitled by Darius Fontenette, on Flickr

I'm disappointed at how the niche ended up. I was hoping that there would be more windows across the indentation, instead it's just one row to the right. There's windows on the left wall which seems pointless IMO. A row of 3 or 4 windows all the way up would have been an improvement and would have made the view of the building looking up Congress less bleak and sterile. Someone needs to build a neighbor real soon so we can cover up that eyesore.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah, I really don't like this building. I would have been fine with it not getting built. It might even get the ugliest highrise in Austin label from me.