The Austin skyline viewed from across the Colorado River in October 2022 (Use cursor to identify buildings)
The city of Austin, the state capital of Texas, is the 10th most populous city in the United States as of July 2023[update] and the central hub of the Greater Austin metropolitan statistical area.[1][2] According to data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), there are 33 buildings in Austin with heights of at least 100 m (330 ft). CTBUH also ranks Austin 19th nationally and 3rd statewide based on the number of completed buildings with heights of at least 490 ft (150 m). The aggregated heights of Austin's high-rises is second in Texas, behind Houston, based on data from Texas Real Estate Source.[3][4] The current tallest completed building in Austin is The Independent, with a height of 694 ft (212 m), followed by The Austonian at 683 ft (208 m) and Fairmont Austin at 591 ft (180 m).[a] The Independent has been the tallest completed building in Austin and the tallest in Texas outside of Dallas and Houston since its completion in 2019,[6] though its height was surpassed by the 875 ft (267 m) tall Sixth and Guadalupe currently under construction.
Bearing a height of 311 ft (95 m),[7] The Texas State Capitol remained the tallest structure in Austin long after its construction in the 1880s, with the city's central Congress Avenue otherwise lined with single-story buildings through the start of the 1900s.[8] The eight-story Scarbrough Building and the nine-story Littlefield Building, built between 1910 and 1912, were Austin's first high-rise buildings; the Littlefield Building was the tallest commercial building in the U.S. west of New Orleans and east of San Francisco upon its completion.[9] In 1928, the Austin City Council briefly considered setting a 100 ft (30 m) height limit for future construction in the city but backed away from the proposal.[10]
After the mid-20th century, Downtown Austin began to transition from being predomniantly composed of low-rise buildings to a skyline with high-rises.[11] Beginning with the 26-story Westgate Tower, the addition of new skyscrapers to Downtown Austin between 1967 and 1980 led to an increasing realization that views of the state capitol from certain vantage points could become obscured.[8] The capitol was also no longer the city's tallest building,[12] surpassed in height by the Dobie Center and the Chase Bank Tower.[b] In response, the Texas State Legislature and the City of Austin created 35 Texas Capitol View Corridors that would preserve selected views of the capitol.[8] By the mid-1980s, Austin featured over a dozen skyscrapers,[12] with at least 12 buildings built during the decade featuring at least 15 floors.[18] Described by the Austin American-Statesman as "the first downtown high-rise wave", the uptick in skyscraper construction that began in the 1980s was mostly characterized by granite and limestone office buildings.[19] More rapid construction of new high-rises in downtown Austin began by the 1990s and continued thereafter,[8] contrasting a concurrent slowdown in the construction of new skyscrapers in Dallas and Houston.[12]Mark Lamster, an architecture critic for the Dallas Morning News, attributed the emergence of increasingly taller skyscrapers to the small size and high density of Austin, incentivizing vertical growth due to the resultingly high cost of land.[12] The Statesman identified a second wave of new skyscrapers in Austin that began in the early 2000s, including construction of the Frost Bank Tower. By 2010, the construction of new residential buildings and office space for technology companies accounted for most of the city's new skyscrapres.[12] By 2023, the combined height of Austin's high-rises overtook Dallas according to Texas Real Estate Source.[4][3]
Historical skyline appearance
1976
2006
2012
2023
Tallest buildings
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Austin has 55 completed buildings that stand at least 250 feet (76 m) tall based on standard height measurement. This height includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts.[c] Unless otherwise noted, heights and floor counts are values assessed by CTBUH.
Was Austin's tallest building upon completion[a]
Tallest under construction
This lists buildings that are currently under construction in Austin and are expected to rise to a height of at least 250 ft (76 m). Buildings under construction that have already been topped out are also included. Unless otherwise noted, heights and floor counts are values assessed by CTBUH.
Tallest buildings: approved, site plan under review or proposed
The following are projects which are to rise at least 300 ft (91 m).
* Table entries with dashes (-) indicate that information regarding building heights or dates of completion has not yet been released
Timeline of tallest buildings
This list includes buildings that have held the title of the tallest building (as measured by architectural height and not tip or roof height) in Austin as well as the current titleholder, The Independent.
^ a bUnless otherwise noted, heights in this article refer to the architectural height of buildings. CTBUH defines this measure as "The level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flagpoles or other functional-technical equipment."[5]
^ a bThe Dobie Center, completed in 1972, has a total height of 328 ft (100 m) and an architectural height of approximately 307 ft (94 m).[13][14] The former value is taller than the 311 ft (95 m) height of the Texas State Capitol while the latter is shorter.[15][16] The Chase Bank Tower, completed in 1974, has an architectural height of around 325 ft (99 m), making it unambiguously taller than the capitol building.[17]
^If two or more buildings are of the same height, they are listed in order of floor count, then alphabetically. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.
^ a bSources disagree on the height of Sixth and Guadalupe. CTBUH lists the height of Sixth and Guadalupe as 874 ft (266 m).[20] SKYDB lists a height of 837 ft (255 m).[21]SkyscraperPage lists a height of 874 ft (266 m).[22]
^Sources disagree on the height of The Independent. CTBUH lists the height of The Independent as 694 ft (212 m).[24] SKYDB lists a height of 685 ft (209 m).[25]SkyscraperPage lists a height of 690 ft (210 m).[26]
^ a b c d e f g h i jBuilding data from SkyscraperPage. CTBUH either lacks information on this building or does not list this building.
^Building data from Emporis. CTBUH either lacks information on this building or does not list this building.
References
General
"Buildings of Austin". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
Specific
^Huber, Mark (January 10, 2020). "Fast forward: Austin metro area sees two decades of explosive growth". 2020 Austin. Gannett. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^Hachtman, Chris; Kolter, Paul; Smith, Steven (April 18, 2023). "Uniquely Austin: Stewarding growth in America's boomtown". McKinsey & Company. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^ a bBrown, Steve (May 23, 2023). "Dallas skyscrapers don't stack up to the booming Houston and Austin skylines". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^ a bGarcia, Ariana (June 2, 2023). "Houston outranks Dallas and Austin as tallest city in the state, study says". Chron. Houston, Texas: Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^"Measuring Tall Building Height". Tall Building Criteria. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^ a bWider, Cindy (December 4, 2019). "10 downtown Austin buildings that didn't exist in 2010". Curbed Austin. Vox Media. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^"Texas State Capitol". Guide to Austin Architecture. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^ a b c dGarcia-Buckalew, Bob (November 23, 2022). "How Downtown Austin grew out of the dust". KVUE. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^Wermund, Ben (September 26, 2018) [September 22. 2012]. "Littlefield, Scarbrough buildings mark a century in Austin". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^Pritchard, Caleb (September 12, 2017). "Austin's Rich History of Getting Mad at Skyscrapers Begins At Norwood Tower". Austin, Texas: Towers. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^Thompson, Ben (August 15, 2022). "More than 20 towers set to change Austin's skyline". Community Impact. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^ a b c d ePatoski, Joe Nick (October 7, 2022). "A Brief History of the Rise and Rise of Texas Skyscrapers". Texas Highways. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^"Dobie Center in Austin". SKYDB. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
^"6 X Guadalupe in Austin". SKYDB. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
^"Sixth & Guadalupe". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
^Rambin, James (November 3, 2022). "Meta or Not, the Sixth and Guadalupe Tower Is Officially Topped Out". Towers. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^Tate, Don II (December 20, 2008). "Austin in the sky". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texaas. p. F1. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^Rambin, James (November 17, 2018). "A Closer Look at 44 East Avenue, the Rainey District's Tallest Tower Plan". Austin, Texas: Towers. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^Rambin, James (September 24, 2021). "44 East Avenue Tops Out 49 Floors of Condos in the Rainey Street District". Austin, Texas: Towers. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^Masters, Julia (June 2, 2022). "Stratus completes $260M sale of downtown block home to W Austin hotel". Austin Business Journal. Austin, Texas: American City Business Journals. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
^Rambin, James (March 1, 2019). "At San Jacinto Center, Austin's '80s Boom Built the Four Seasons Hotel". Austin, Texas: Towers. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^Edgemon, Erin (February 4, 2020). "Historic piece of Austin's skyline hits the market". Austin Business Journals. Austin, Texas: American City Business Journals. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^Novak, Shonda (May 29, 2003). "Austin's tallest building marks milestone with tree tradition". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. C1, C3. Retrieved July 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^Novak, Shonda (May 14, 2021). "More than 300 apartments to open late this summer in 32-story downtown tower". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^Johnson, Pamela (November 9, 1983). "Congress tower wins city height honors". Austin American-Statesman. Vol. 113, no. 107. Austin, Texas. p. D10. Retrieved July 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^ a bRambin, James (January 4, 2018). "Bank of America Center, Downtown Austin's Favorite Monolith, Gets a Friendlier Ground Floor". Austin, Texas: Towers. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ a b cRambin, James (June 20, 2018). "In Loving Memory: Downtown Austin's 'Golden Mirror'". Austin, Texas: Towers. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^Barnes, Michael (July 14, 2023). "Downtown Austin frozen in the early 1980s by photographer Mark Goodman". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^Compton, Mikala (October 4, 2023). "Chase tower in downtown Austin has a new look. Building renamed to Procore tower". Retrieved October 5, 2023.
^"Renovating a downtown landmark". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. September 15, 1993. p. C1. Retrieved July 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Everything you need to know about the Texas Capitol building". EverythingLubbock.com. Lubbock, Texas: Nexstar Media. February 15, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^"Union on San Antonio". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^Thompson, Ben (January 25, 2023). "The Linden Residences marks topping out in downtown Austin". Community Impact. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^Oldman, Iain (April 15, 2021). "Local business leaders say The Domain continues to drive growth in North Austin market". Community Impact. Austin, Texas. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^"Domain Tower II". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^"Union on 24th Street". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
^"M2 Development Partners Is Pleased to Announce the Planned Development of a Luxury Branded Hospitality & Mixed-Use Project in America's Top Growth Market" (PDF). Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^ a b"Interactive Development Review Permitting and Inspection".
^Plans for tower at Brazos Lofts site come into focus
^"N62 East Avenue Condo Tower Faces a Tight Squeeze in the Rainey District". TOWERS. December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
^Rambin, James, and James RambinJames. “A Tower's in the Works at Fourth and Brazos in Downtown Austin.” TOWERS, 18 Feb. 2020, austin.towers.net/theres-a-tower-in-the-works-at-fourth-and-brazos-in-downtown-austin/?agent=.
^"Let's Not Call This the P.F. Chang's Tower, But Here's a Sneak Peek Anyway". TOWERS. October 7, 2019.
^"Austin's Next Record-Breaking Supertall Tower Announced at Fifth and Trinity". November 14, 2022.
^"Wilson Tower". Wilson Tower. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
^"The Long Road to a Residential Tower at Downtown's Former Carmelo's Site". TOWERS. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
^"West Fourth and Colorado Tower Plans a Place for Austin's Oldest Gay Bar". TOWERS. April 11, 2022.
^"Proposed Case for : 2022-ASW-18817-OE".
^ a b"Interactive Development Review Permitting and Inspection". abc.austintexas.gov. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^"The Annie B Apartment Tower Moves Forward in West Downtown". March 2, 2022.
^"Austin's Annie B Apartment Tower Adds a Fancy Crown in West Downtown". TOWERS. April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
^"Interactive Development Review Permitting and Inspection".
^"Here's Our First Look at the Downtown Austin Condo Tower at 14th and Lavaca". TOWERS. February 15, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
^"Fifth and Lavaca Hotel Tower Plan Heads for Historic Review". TOWERS. April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
^Edgemon, E (2019). "Five-star hotel still planned for downtown Austin Brick Oven site — but new developer attached". Bizjournals.com. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
^"Interactive Development Review Permitting and Inspection | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin". Abc.austintexas.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
^"Interactive Development Review Permitting and Inspection".
^"Interactive Development Review Permitting and Inspection".