Austin, Texas, USA
American Prize for Architecture Laureates Kohn Pedersen Fox has released plans for the first supertall skyscraper to be constructed in the Texas capital for developers Lincoln Property Company and Kairoi Residential, which has seen explosive growth in the last few years.
The Waterline, designed with HKS and TBG Partners, with interiors by Michael Hsu and Studio Mai is set to be built on Austin’s Red River Street and will slope up and away from the Colorado River.
The plans for the tower have a thick base supporting a thinner volume, with exposed steel beams marking the separation.
The new skyscraper will have residential, retail, and office spaces and be the tallest building in Texas.
Taking inspiration from its namesake, the Waterline continues public walkways from the adjacent park into the tower’s multi-leveled ground plane.
Defined by sculptural columns and infused with natural elements such as stone and greenery, the pedestrian realm is activated by retail spaces, restaurants, and outdoor areas for interaction.
Known as the Paseo, this space also encompasses a drop-off portico that connects to the nearby Rainey Street District.
Easily accessible via foot, bicycle, and car, Waterline rests at the start of Austin’s first light rail line, connecting it to the wider city.
Easily accessible via foot, bicycle, and car, Waterline rests at the start of Austin’s first light rail line, connecting it to the wider city.
The podium conforms to the bend of Waller Creek with a gentle curve of the western elevation and wraps a parking structure with hotel space.
Deep balconies are divided up by playful partitions, animating the façade.
Above, office space and hotel amenities lift the tower from the podium, where exterior gardens celebrate the incredible views from the building.
Accommodating the project’s office and residential space, the tower’s programs are bifurcated with indoor/outdoor residential amenities that are playful and porous in form and bring elements of the creek up into the tower.
The mixed-use nature of the project lends itself to the stacked and striated design that rises up the tower as it leans away from the water.
This movement is enhanced by the primarily horizontal façade expression, which is modulated by a series of vertical elements.
Project: Waterline
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, PC.
Architects of Record: HKS Architects
Architects and Landscape Architects of Record: TBG Partners
Interior Architects: Michael Hsu
Interior Architects: Studio Mai
Client: Lincoln Property Company and Kairoi Residential
Photographs: Courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
