Will Austin ever have a STARCHITECT designed tower?

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by Chiveman

I think a building by Bjarke Ingels would be a great addition to our skyline... Right now our skyline is lacking in the design department (with the exception of Frost of course and kinda 360 but not quite)

We have a lot of buildings that I think are close to having great design but are just too reserved do to either budgets or other factors.

Before any major "Starchitect" building we really need to address the lack of density in neighboring areas of downtown and the lack of more affordable housing.

Just my opinion

preach, gurl

Also...If Charlotte NC can have one of their tallest designed by a world renowned architect, so can fucking AUSTIN!
**I am not a Pelli fanboy it just keeps coming to mind**

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by ahealy

preach, gurl

Also...If Charlotte NC can have one of their tallest designed by a world renowned architect, so can fucking AUSTIN!
**I am not a Pelli fanboy it just keeps coming to mind**

If the BoA tower in Charlotte was design by Cesar Pelli, then I just became a Pelli fan. That's one of my favorite U.S. skyscrapers. Any variation of that building would satisfy my desire for a signature tower in Austin, even at 100' shorter.

[the Genral]

https://youtu.be/_CtHic0P96Y

And speaking of the BoA Charlotte, the above video gives some insight about how it came to be and the need to be the tallest, and what's lacking here to get to the signature tower phase of our dt.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by the Genral

https://youtu.be/_CtHic0P96Y

And speaking of the BoA Charlotte, the above video gives some insight about how it came to be and the need to be the tallest, and what's lacking here to get to the signature tower phase of our dt.

One thing you are missing is that Austin is not a financial center. It will never be, as it is not home to any "major" national/international bank or financial institution(s). Cities centered around the financial industry are the ones building the tallest buildings in the world. As financial institutions are the ones who initially engage in these types of "my penis is bigger than yours" tower height wars.

As much as I would like to see a super, signature tower in Austin, it will not be conceived in the manner portrayed in the aforementioned video.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

One thing you are missing is that Austin is not a financial center. It will never be, as it is not home to any "major" national/international bank or financial institution(s). Cities centered around the financial industry are the ones building the tallest buildings in the world. As financial institutions are the ones who initially engage in these types of "my penis is bigger than yours" tower height wars.

As much as I would like to see a super, signature tower in Austin, it will not be conceived in the manner portrayed in the aforementioned video.

I mentioned by watching the video that it would pretty much explain what Austin was lacking, I didn't miss that, but you explained it nicely and I like your penis analogy. And I agree, we won't get our signature tower by means of one developer out doing the other, but by virtue of demand and limited space of which to build it on, when there is no choice but to go taller. When an if that happens, I hope we get the starchiture creation this thread is discussing.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

One thing you are missing is that Austin is not a financial center. It will never be, as it is not home to any "major" national/international bank or financial institution(s). Cities centered around the financial industry are the ones building the tallest buildings in the world. As financial institutions are the ones who initially engage in these types of "my penis is bigger than yours" tower height wars.

As much as I would like to see a super, signature tower in Austin, it will not be conceived in the manner portrayed in the aforementioned video.

But what about all that tech moneeeeeeyyyy??!? I am still holding out for some billionaire to fund a decent art museum, rail, and a beautiful CROWNED mixed-use tallest.

thanks for the vid, General

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by ahealy

But what about all that tech moneeeeeeyyyy??!? I am still holding out for some billionaire to fund a decent art museum, rail, and a beautiful CROWNED mixed-use tallest.

thanks for the vid, General

He (Dell) funded the hospital instead.

Works for me.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I mentioned by watching the video that it would pretty much explain what Austin was lacking, I didn't miss that...

Oops, my bad. Sorry about that.

[urbancore]

I think the residential market will drive our signature tower. Once average prices of new condos reach/exceed $1000/sqft (still have a ways to go), buyers will expect and developers will compete using bigger names.

I think it will have to market driven. (15 years maybe)

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

One thing you are missing is that Austin is not a financial center. It will never be, as it is not home to any "major" national/international bank or financial institution(s). Cities centered around the financial industry are the ones building the tallest buildings in the world. As financial institutions are the ones who initially engage in these types of "my penis is bigger than yours" tower height wars.

As much as I would like to see a super, signature tower in Austin, it will not be conceived in the manner portrayed in the aforementioned video.

That's a good point but it is not out of the realm of possibility that such an institution cannot develop here or relocate from an other city for that matter.

I think it's a combo of a matter of time and developers pushing the envelope just a little more each time. The Independent is a start.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

That's a good point but it is not out of the realm of possibility that such an institution cannot develop here or relocate from an other city for that matter.

If you are referring to a multi-national, multi-billion dollar financial institution, then yes...it is beyond the realm of possibility. Even though Austin has 2 million people (and growing exponentially), a huge financial institution is not going to move it's HQ (or major operations) out of Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte, Boston, New York, etc. for Austin. Austin is not a financial center nor will it be.

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I think it's a combo of a matter of time and developers pushing the envelope just a little more each time. The Independent is a start.

The Independent is residential. A totally different animal than office. But, I believe it was suggested in this thread that if Austin were to see a "height battle," it might just be between developers of residential towers. So, yes, I agree with you on that front...with one major caveat - cost. "Pushing the envelope" increases cost. And increasing the cost of construction will increase the cost for each residential unit. Affordability is already an issue in Austin.

However, Austin is no where near a Their 1 global city - where, if these these types of "battles" were to occur, it would be in these, larger, more global cities (i.e., New York, Chicago, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, The city-states of the UAE, Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Mumbai, Moscow, Istanbul, several metropolis' in China, etc., etc., etc.) not Austin.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

If you are referring to a multi-national, multi-billion dollar financial institution, then yes...it is beyond the realm of possibility. Even though Austin has 2 million people (and growing exponentially), a huge financial institution is not going to move it's HQ (or major operations) out of Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte, Boston, New York, etc. for Austin. Austin is not a financial center nor will it be.

I'm not implying that we are a financial center and large companies can and do move HQ's from one city to another. Whether one will actually move here is debatable and I won't argue with you on that point because nobody can predict the future. But because we can't know what will happen 20, 30 or 50 years out, saying Austin will never be a financial center of any caliber is conjecture. Can't rule out that a company will develop here and grow in the future either. I agree that even if we see a significant office tower built sometime in the next few years, it probably won't be an architectural marvel.

[maru2501]

city doesn't really need it, imo

was there over weekend during sxsw and was really impressed. Just keep fighting for quality and density and good stuff at street level

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by maru2501

city doesn't really need it, imo

was there over weekend during sxsw and was really impressed. Just keep fighting for quality and density and good stuff at street level

Hope you had a good time. We're just spoiled

[maru2501]

very good time. besides seeing the blackhawks get beaten in dallas

ANYWAY, the city feels very up-and-coming and was way more interesting at street level than its larger neighbors. (flew into houston.. long story)

totally seemed to be trending in the right direction. Big changes from when I was there just a few years ago.

seemed like it could support plenty more central-city residential building.. which I am sure it will. The money that counts was certainly there for the festival

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by maru2501

very good time. besides seeing the blackhawks get beaten in dallas

ANYWAY, the city feels very up-and-coming and was way more interesting at street level than its larger neighbors. (flew into houston.. long story)

totally seemed to be trending in the right direction. Big changes from when I was there just a few years ago.

seemed like it could support plenty more central-city residential building.. which I am sure it will. The money that counts was certainly there for the festival

I'm still hoping for a couple of signature office towers. Btw, I used to travel to Chicago on business, mostly in the Rosemont area but ventured to the City everyday. Loved it! Saw the Cubs play St. Louis and won! Big Wrigley Field and Cub fan now. We need something like your CTA here.

[maru2501]

seems like Austin could definitely get away with at least a central streetcar system or something like Atlanta's MARTA that hits the airport

glad you liked wrigley. I won't even start on the cubs. I live about a mile west of the ballpark and walk to games as often as my mental health will allow. There's quite a lot going on with it if you haven't been there lately. Lots of building around it. Some good some less good.

http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/...146817&page=39