Block 185 is an office skyscraper located at 601 W. 2nd St. in Downtown Austin, Texas.[1] The tower topped out in July 2021. The tower is the fourth tallest in Austin at 594 feet, and the tallest office tower in Texas outside of Houston or Dallas. Block 185 is bound to the west by Shoal Creek, to the east by Nueces Street, to the north by Second Street and to the south by Cesar Chavez Street. The tower is located on the final parcel of the former Green Water Treatment Plant and in Austin's Second Street District.[2]
| Block 185 | |
|---|---|
 Block 185 viewed from Lady Bird Lake | |
 | |
| Alternative names | 601 W. 2nd St. |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Address | 601 W. 2nd St. |
| Town or city | Austin |
| Coordinates | 30°15′56″N 97°45′01″W / 30.2656°N 97.7504°W |
| Groundbreaking | January 16th, 2019 |
| Estimated completion | Q2 2022 |
| Height | 594 ft. (181m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 43 |
| Floor area | 719,470 sq. ft. |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects |
| Architecture firm | STG Design |
| Developer | Trammell Crow |
History
editIn the 1839 plan of Austin the property, along with three other adjoining properties, was designated for use as a penitentiary, however, a map of Austin from 1840 shows that lot split out into four tracks - Block 185, 186, 187 and 188.[3] Eventually, the 1.26 acre plot of land would become the Green Water Treatment Plant [2] and, in 2012, it was purchased by a partnership between Trammel Crow and MSD Capital[4] for $10,277,470.[5][6] After many years of planning and many design changes, both increasing and decreasing in height,[7] Block 185 started construction on January 16, 2019. Even after the groundbreaking, the tenants of the tower had not yet been announced and no renderings had been made public.[2] On January 31, 2019, Brandywine announced that Google would lease the entire building,[8] and the Austin-American Statesman released the first renderings the same day.[9]
Architecture
editThe building's unique design is due, in part, to setback requirements owing to its proximity to Shoal Creek and Lady Bird Lake. On the south side fronting Lady Bird Lake, this setback manifests itself as a series of receding terraces. On the west side, facing Shoal Creek, the tower's curtain-wall glass façade curves away from the creek, giving the building a sailboat like appearance.[10][11] The tower has been called "the single most impressive skyscraper design we’ve seen in the city since the debut of the Frost Bank Tower".[12]
References
edit- ^ "At Last, Here's Our First Look at the Block 185 Office Tower". TOWERS. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ a b c "Block 185: Is it Google, Salesforce or the shadow?". ATX Real Estate News. 2019-01-18. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ A Topographical Map of the Government Tract Adjoining the City of Austin
- ^ "Trammell Crow Company and MSD Capital Top Out 35-Story Class a Office Tower in Downtown Austin".
- ^ GWTP Master Development Agreement Between The City of Austin and TC Green Water Master Developer, LLC
- ^ "New Google building will a rare starchitect-designed tower". 2 April 2019.
- ^ "Good and Bad News on Block 185". TOWERS. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ Transcripts, S. A. (2019-01-31). "Brandywine Realty Trust 2018 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Slides". Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
- ^ Novak, Shonda. "Source: Google to occupy 35-story office tower in downtown Austin". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
- ^ Exclusive: Architect involved in Austin's new Google tower outlines considerations that led to unique design
- ^ Austin's next iconic high-rise sails toward opening date with Google as anchor tenant
- ^ "Google's New Home at Block 185 is Downtown Austin's Next Signature Tower". 26 March 2019.