Antoine Predock - Austin City Hall & Public Plaza

Antoine Predock
Austin City Hall
& Public Plaza
Austin, Texas

The environmentally intelligent approaches in this project earned it a LEED Gold Certification.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

The new Austin City Hall and Public Plaza is located at the edge of the dynamic Warehouse district on the shores of Downtown Austin’s Town Lake.

The project is dominated by landscape and incorporates limestone, copper, glass, water and shade to create the city’s living room. The building contains several city departments along with the Mayor, City Manager, City Council offices, Council Chambers, and a café and city store along urban second street.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

Austin’s Warehouse District is rapidly being transformed into a tight grid of restaurants, nightspots, housing, and mid-rise office spaces. City hall mediates the city grid and the natural realm terracing down from Second Street to Town Lake.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

Terraces slide out of the building into the plaza analogous to the limestone overhangs known as balcones in the hill country surrounding Austin. The terraces are shaded with trees and have become prime locations for viewing the activities on the plaza and Town Lake beyond.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

The plaza winds its way around the limestone peninsulas of the terraced building. Water runs through a group of monumental limestone boulders in the plaza to symbolically return to Town Lake through a vortex. Amphitheater seating spilling down from the terraces can be used informally or to view performances on a Limestone stage.

The amphitheater is protected from the sun by a photovoltaic glass trellis, supplying ten percent of the building’s power.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

A massive arcing Lueders Limestone wall, emerging from bedrock at the lowest level of the parking garage below, anchors the project to the site.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

Morphing out of this wall is a limestone base that encloses the first two stories. A scrim like copper skin, resting on the limestone base and capped with a folded copper roof, shelters the upper levels. As the arcing wall cuts through the building it creates an open four-story lobby transected by catwalk-like bridges at each level. A reflective copper ceiling over the lobby bounces light into the gathering space below.

Photo © Timothy Hursley

City Hall defeats the formality of the surrounding blocks by angling away from the adjacent streets and echoes the warm informality that characterizes Austinites.

Sketch courtesy Antoine Predock Architect

Drawing courtesy Antoine Predock Architect
Site Plan

Drawing courtesy Antoine Predock Architect
First Floor Plan

Drawing courtesy Antoine Predock Architect
Third Floor Plan

Total area: 118,000 square feet
Completed: Fall 2004

Client: City of Austin
Architect: Antoine Predock Architect PC
Executive Architect: Cotera, Kolar, Negrete, and Reed

Antoine Predock Architect PC features

April 2, 2007





				Features
		Antoine Predock Austin City Hall & Public Plaza Austin, Texas The environmentally intelligent approaches in this project earned it a LEED Gold Certification. Photo © Timothy Hursley The new Austin City Hall and Public Plaza is located at the edge of the dynamic Warehouse district on the shores of Downtown Austin’s Town Lake. The project is dominated by landscape and incorporates limestone, copper, glass, water and shade to create the city’s living room. The building contains several city departments along with the Mayor, City Manager, City Council offices, Council Chambers, and a café and city store along urban second street. Photo © Timothy Hursley Austin’s Warehouse District is rapidly being transformed into a tight grid of restaurants, nightspots, housing, and mid-rise office spaces. City hall mediates the city grid and the natural realm terracing down from Second Street to Town Lake. Photo © Timothy Hursley Terraces slide out of the building into the plaza analogous to the limestone overhangs known as balcones in the hill country surrounding Austin. The terraces are shaded with trees and have become prime locations for viewing the activities on the plaza and Town Lake beyond. Photo © Timothy Hursley The plaza winds its way around the limestone peninsulas of the terraced building. Water runs through a group of monumental limestone boulders in the plaza to symbolically return to Town Lake through a vortex. Amphitheater seating spilling down from the terraces can be used informally or to view performances on a Limestone stage. The amphitheater is protected from the sun by a photovoltaic glass trellis, supplying ten percent of the building’s power. Photo © Timothy Hursley Photo © Timothy Hursley A massive arcing Lueders Limestone wall, emerging from bedrock at the lowest level of the parking garage below, anchors the project to the site. Photo © Timothy Hursley Morphing out of this wall is a limestone base that encloses the first two stories. A scrim like copper skin, resting on the limestone base and capped with a folded copper roof, shelters the upper levels. As the arcing wall cuts through the building it creates an open four-story lobby transected by catwalk-like bridges at each level. A reflective copper ceiling over the lobby bounces light into the gathering space below. Photo © Timothy Hursley Photo © Timothy Hursley Photo © Timothy Hursley City Hall defeats the formality of the surrounding blocks by angling away from the adjacent streets and echoes the warm informality that characterizes Austinites. Sketch courtesy Antoine Predock Architect Drawing courtesy Antoine Predock Architect Site Plan Drawing courtesy Antoine Predock Architect First Floor Plan Drawing courtesy Antoine Predock Architect Third Floor Plan Total area: 118,000 square feet Completed: Fall 2004 Client: City of Austin Architect: Antoine Predock Architect PC Executive Architect: Cotera, Kolar, Negrete, and Reed Antoine Predock Architect PC features April 2, 2007