[WestGrayGuy]

Okay, I am by no means an architectural critic. But, I do know an ugly building when I see one. Has anyone else seen the new Austin city hall in person?

Here is the architectural rendering:



Am I crazy for thinking it is ugly? I like Houston's city halll the best of the large cities in the state.

Thoughts, opinions?

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

Not too bad.

[largeTEXAS]

I like it.

[SpaceCity]

I think its kind of cool looking.

But its not very "stately." It looks more like a piece of 70's architecture on a college campus.

[MidtownCoog]

Very 70s.

Looks like the UC at UH.

[Dallasite]

Does it allow for expansion? I don't dislike it but would rather see something better for our capital city.

[Talbot]

It does look very 70's, and I dont like the brown in the building.

[WestGrayGuy]

Trust me it looks worse in person (my opinion). It is right on the river and does not seem to fit in with the surrounding buildings.

[Subdude]

It seems it would be a lot more attractive if they rethought the color scheme. Is that supposed to be a waterfall running down the front? The design might be OK for any number of purposes (like a college lecture hall), but it really doesn't seem to have the monumentality that would be expected in a city hall. See dbigtex's comments about the Harris County Courthouse for the way municipal buildings used to be signs of civic pride. Here's a good example.

[texasPaul]

I think its a very interesting and a very "Austin" looking building. I like the incorporating of the trees into the design as well as the wood facing.

My first thought upon seeing it was that it was some sort of campus type development like for a major office or school.

At least is not as awful as the one we have in Dallas. It scale made it look so out of place and it does not mesh well with the rest of downtown.

[UrbanLandscape]

texasPaul, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 10:16am, said:

I think its a very interesting and a very "Austin" looking building.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Therein lies the problem. In fact, I'm not even sure that it's very Austin at all. It lloks like something that gets built and within a few years, everyone wishes they had built something more architectually conservative.

texasPaul, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 10:16am, said:

At least is not as awful as the one we have in Dallas.  It scale made it look so out of place and it does not mesh well with the rest of downtown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You learn to like it. I've always thought that it would look better as a taller building. Like with the matte work done in "Robocop" to make it the OCP tower.

[2112]

It looks like something Frank Loyd Wright would do. What's the name of that house he built right over a waterfall? Falling Water? Or something like that? It doesnt have the protruding elements of that house, but I guess its just the way it sprouts out horizontally in all directions, and has these really, thick, concrete looking "bases", and the dark orange wood looking "thingies". Hey, I better shut up, I keep forgetting I am among a bunch of REAL architects around here! hehehehe.

I'll stop talking outa my ass now.

[UrbanLandscape]

2112, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 12:29pm, said:

It looks like something Frank Loyd Wright would do.  What's the name of that house he built right over a waterfall? Falling Water?  Or something like that?  It doesnt have the protruding elements of that house, but I guess its just the way it sprouts out horizontally in all directions, and has these really, thick, concrete looking "bases", and the dark orange wood looking "thingies".  Hey, I better shut up, I keep forgetting I am among a bunch of REAL architects around here!  hehehehe.

I'll stop talking outa my ass now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I agree, and I'm far from being a professional in anything.

Frank Lloyd Wright actually had talent and skill.

[2112]

UrbanLandscape, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 12:32pm, said:

Yeah, I agree, and I'm far from being a professional in anything.

Frank Lloyd Wright actually had talent and skill.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are you majoring over at Sam Houston State?

[UrbanLandscape]

2112, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 4:17pm, said:

What are you majoring over at Sam Houston State?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Radio-television.

[MidtownCoog]

Do you get to take the Dan Rather Investigative Reporting class?

I hear that one is excellent. And the professor does not even check your references. An easy A, for sure.

[dbigtex56]

Let's stay on topic, please.

[UrbanLandscape]

dbigtex56, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 8:38pm, said:

Let's stay on topic, please.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No no! That was good!

[dbigtex56]

UrbanLandscape, on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004 @ 11:46pm, said:

No no!  That was good!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What part of 'off-topic' don't you understand?

If this is a topic of interest for you, start a thread in the "Way Off Topic" section.

[H-Town Man]

I agree with the comment that it is "Austin-looking." If you drive along the river there, they have a lot of buildings that are similar to this, including their convention center, and in my opinion, it all looks very good. Austin has found its architectural style. The more buildings they build in it, the better each one of them will look.