Confidential Austin Tower

This 31-story office tower was created in response to a series of specific challenges. One major requirement was to comply with a visual preservation zone, which mandated that the building’s southeast corner be set back from the intersection to honor a significant view corridor. To achieve the client goals of increasing both building density and height, historic preservation tax credits were applied through the preservation of an adjacent historic structure.

Publicly accessible park and community spaces were provided along the southwest side of the site at grade, along with a sky terrace above the 11-story garage. The resulting 31-story building features a sky lobby shared between the public and the building’s tenants, offering dramatic views of the surrounding area.

The architectural expression is conceived as a layered “wrapping” of curtainwall around a slender tower with an offset core, offering flexible and varied floor plates. The design includes a “leaning” reveal that respects the view corridor, providing unique and dynamic views from all tenant floors and a mid-level exterior balcony for the building’s primary tenant. The layered curtainwall is articulated with alternating panels rotated slightly inward, creating a subtle patterned effect. These panels also reflect the sun’s position, presenting a continually changing pattern of reflection throughout each day. The skin extends above the building roof as a translucent scrim, appearing to spiral around the tower as it reaches the skyline.