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What do you think of the 2011 Austin skyline?
Every so often, the dust settles. Urban construction pauses. Austinites evaluate the changes in their city.
From some directions, the 2011 skyline does not look radically different from the 2001 skyline. Make an exception for the tall, thin, smooth, metallic Austonian, which is hard to miss, even from those vantage points where a dozen or so new towers line up, blocking clear views.
From the south or west, the skyline appears to spread out and mushroom up. This is especially true if viewed from the plaza at the Long Center. Its ringed colonnade — a remnant of the previous building’s structural system — frames the new towers across the lake in a grand arc.
Via Facebook and Twitter, we asked readers what they thought about Austin’s new look. We heard, of course, from unabashed Austin adorers.
“I love it,” says Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez. “But can you actually believe we have folks who not only want to stop it, but reverse it? Austin is great and getting better each day!”
Some are experiencing a lingering period of adjustment.
“Getting used to it,” Debbie Buie says. “But it’s Austin grown up, so sophisticated now.”
“I think of our skyline as a mature adolescent with a few zits,” Patrick Wong says. “Some minor missteps, some terrific and surprising accomplishments, and lots of potential.”
“I miss that old water tower with the unusual shape that someone had agreed to paint as a rosebud,” David Roland Strong says. “Otherwise I am liking the various colors, but wishing the skyscrapers were much shorter and that once in a while the lights would go out so that we could see the stars.”
Others are not impressed.
“The skyline at night is pretty, but by day, the buildings themselves look pretty bland,” Ross Smith says. “They could be found in any American city. There doesn’t seem to be a uniquely Austin style coming together downtown.”
“Looks more and more like Houston,” Doug Wong complains.
“As an architecture buff, I wholeheartedly dislike it,” says Jeff Kirk, who makes an exception for some smaller-scale projects. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘hate it,’ but the downtown skyline is for the most part banal, and arguably the most banal building of all — the Austonian — is unfortunately now the most prominent one on it.
“Such mixed emotions,” Adam Ayres says. “I’m proud to see Austin take its place as a destination city, but I wish the designs were bolder, less generic, and more reflective of our unique culture. Where are the grass roofs and innovative cooling skins? Where is our tower of German stone and Spanish tile? And what happened to grand internal spaces filled with public art and private business?”
Any discussion of the new density would not be complete without mention of congestion.
“Now we just need to work on better ways to get people around on the streets and reduce the traffic,” George T. Elliman says. “Other cities have transportation figured out, we should be able to do the same.”
The unfinished W Austin Hotel & Residences, still awaiting planned, ground-level retail, aroused some pointed comments.
“I wish the W was prettier at street level, actually, prettier overall,” Richard MacKinnon says. “They did a nice job on the inside. It just seems unfinished on the outside. Our skyline is just one measure that we are a growing, vibrant city that is literally growing up.”
Most seem to agree that the accumulation of buildings have injected new life into downtown.
“When I moved here 18 years ago downtown was dark, dreary and deserted at night,” Ron Ramelli says. “I really can’t conjure a lot of nostalgia for those days compared to now.”
“It glitters,” Kathleen Evans says. “Just like the sparkle of her people. New, energetic and fun!”
“I love it,” Forrest Preece says. “We moved downtown three years ago and we agree that living here is even better than we imagined it would be. Walking to entertainment and eating spots has become our way of life. We have to drive to other parts of Austin sometimes and I enjoy seeing the skyline beckoning when I’m headed back down.”
Valerie R. Bowles quips: “Like the kids, it’s busy,”
Photo by Jay Janner
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By Adam Ayres
June 2, 2011 12:02 PM | Link to this
@Forrest Preece: Living down here is another matter. We're moving out of SoCo this month because as great as the context is, the constant street closures and extreme noise have become overwhelming. I love living downtown in urban areas, but Austin hasn't figured out the balance yet.