Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2011 > December > 03 > Entry
Austin Foundation for Architecture at McGarrah Jessee
Why the excellent McGarrah Jessee offices aren’t used for more fashion shoots and TV commercials, I don’t know. The meticulously revamped 1954 midcentury modern is pure “Mad Men.” Everything down to the stabilized Seymour Fogel geometric mural and the intervening white metal bridge work beautifully.
Jeremy Wahlburg and Brooke Marcus
Otherwise known as the Starr Building or American National Bank Building, it made an ideal stage set for the Austin Foundation for Architecture’s End of Year Celebration. Many of the city’s design stars attended, while a jazz band played snappily on the aforementioned bridge.
Janice and Tom Shefelman
My first conversational home run: Getting to know Tom Shefelman — who designed the building in 1954! — and his wife Janice Shefelman, who writes children’s books, sometimes with her husband. The architect is still full of vinegar and pep. (You didn’t think I’d use the more vulgar version of this expression, did you?) Can’t wait to hear more of his stories about introducing midcentury modernism to Austin.
Shuronda Robinson and Kristina Schlegel
As the party crested, the foundation honored the striking renovation of Arthouse on Congress Avenue and also Liz Lambert, the hotelier behind Hotel San Jose, Hotel St. Cecilia and Jo’s Hot Coffee, along with projects in Marfa and San Antonio. As featured speaker, Lambert talked about the sense of place that informed her imaginative projects, encouraging developers to live where they work so they understand what they are doing to the area.
The South Austin hotels are duly appreciated by experts, but my pick is Jo’s, which virtually invented SoCo with its sidewalk service, open-air seating and clear social connections to its physical context. Love it.
Correction: In an earlier version of this post, Kristina Schlegel’s name was misspelled.
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