Austin’s Skyline will Soon be Changing with the Construction of Supertall Residential Living

Wilson Tower. Austin, TX.

In November 2022, plans were announced for a new “supertall” residential skyscraper in downtown Austin that will drastically change the skyline of a city seeing dramatic growth. Austin based developer, Wilson Capital, has collaborated with architects, HKS, to design Wilson Tower, with plans to break ground in the summer of 2023. Once completed, Wilson Tower will be the tallest building in the state of Texas and the second tallest residential building in the US. Defined as a “supertall” (a residential or office building reaching a minimum of 300 meters/984 feet), Wilson Tower is expected to stand 80 stories and 315 meters/1,035 feet. This would make it 30 feet taller than the state’s current tallest building, the JP Morgan Chase Tower in Houston. However, Wilson Tower is not the only planned “supertall” skyscraper under construction or planned for the city. Construction of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s mixed-use Waterline is already underway, with a designed height of 312 meters/1,022 feet. Additionally, more projects are in the planning stages.

Austin has seen substantial growth and transformation over the last decade. Some refer to Austin as “Silicon Hills” due to its location in the Texas Hill Country and for it being the new hub for high-tech and start-up businesses. Austin is widely seen as a desirable place to live due to its unique and lively identity, relatively low cost of living and a business-friendly environment. This growth has put incredible pressure on the city’s housing market. The new residential “supertalls” will (hopefully) provide a solution to this housing crisis and allow Austin to maintain its distinct culture and quality of life.

The HKS designed Wilson Tower will be located at Fifth and Trinity in the heart of downtown- near the University of Texas Austin campus, the 6th Street Entertainment District, the Austin Convention Center and CapMetro’s new downtown light rail station. It will replace the art deco inspired 1940’s Avenue Lofts and take up 0.8 acres, or half a city block. Taylor Wilson of Wilson Capital has stated, “We believe it is important to add intentionally designed density along the city’s transit corridors to accommodate the unprecedented level of population growth Austin is experiencing. We are passionate about making a meaningful contribution to the city we call home.” Further, Brad Wilkins, Principal and Design Director at HKS is quoted saying, “Why Austin?’ would be the obvious question. As you scratch beneath the surface, it just makes sense. It’s a really energetic place. It’s amazing how much is happening and how much is going to continue to happen here.”

Wilkins brings valuable first-had experience building and living in “supertall” buildings. (He previously worked on the design of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and Wuhan’s Greenland Center.) Wilson Tower is intended to house 450 residential units, ranging from studios to 3 and 4 bedroom penthouses- 471 square feet to 3,768 square feet. The ground floor will contain 20,000 square feet of restaurant space. Additionally, there will be 8 floors of above-ground parking and 4 floors of resident amenities, including: a cocktail lounge, a movie theater, a full-service fitness center, co-working spaces and a floor dedicated to resident pets with a dog run and a grooming center. A unique design feature is a brise soleil (sunscreen) which will not only provide all floors with protection from the hot Texas sun, but also provides structural support. Per Wilkins, “It also allows us to have outdoor space behind it - terraces and decks to make living in a tower more friendly to people.” The base (Podium)brise soleil will feature classic vertical louvers and the tower will be covered in a blocky metal structure that changes its profile depending on the needs of the individual apartments. Sitting atop the Podium will be a large pool deck.

Wilkins, who also serves as an advisory group member for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, discussed the priority put into incorporating local design elements and the need to nurture a sense of community. He stated, “There’s something special about vertical neighborhoods, because it’s a way of living that brings people closer together. I meet new people everyday as I go out and walk my dog…There’s something really special about that, that we’re trying to design into these buildings, to make sure there are things that are bringing that kind of old-fashioned neighborliness back to cities.” Further, in regards to creating a design unique to Austin, he said, “The colors and textures are all something that we’re trying to ground here in Austin…to be something that’s like no other, that doesn’t belong anywhere else.” This commitment to design will (hopefully) help the city meet the demands put upon it while remaining a one-of-a-kind city.