AUSTIN | Main Public Library | 123 FEET | 6 FLOORS | COMPLETE

[airwx]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

They have three guys working it. One in each crane and that guy on the ground doing all sorts of stuff.

Don't be silly, they obviously have a fourth guy taking the picture

[IluvATX]

Originally Posted by airwx

Don't be silly, they obviously have a fourth guy taking the picture

These "guys" are creating an architectural masterpiece. Don't be foolish.

[KevinFromTexas]

The "reading porch" on the building's 6th floor should have a really good view of the Independent I think. Not to mention the 2nd Greenwater residential tower and Austin Proper.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The "reading porch" on the building's 6th floor should have a really good view of the Independent I think. Not to mention the 2nd Greenwater residential tower and Austin Proper.

In other words, just a damn good view, period.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by _Matt

Downtown Austin's noise ordinances around entertainment and construction are antiquated and need to be moderinized.

Fantastic post, I really appreciate the education into the nuances and problems with sound ordinances. As I read this, and the first few responses, I completely forgot what thread I was in. Then someone commented about the library and I felt jolted by the contrast. I smiled as I pondered how a discussion about booming bass and other loud noise had somehow taken root in the library thread.

FWIW, I fully agree with your comment about the non-necessity for music to be at ear-damaging volume in order to be enjoyable. I've never disliked a concert because it wasn't loud enough. I've had problems with volume being too high at a couple hundred of them, however. On the other hand, I wouldn't like to hear Soundgarden or Armin Van Buuren at library volume. There's a happy medium in there somewhere.

I've been excited about the new library from the moment I first saw a rendering. I think it's going to be gorgeous, and I like the location. I don't think it would be attractive to have Cesar Chavez lined with skyscrapers on one side. Stepping up to the city from attractive lower buildings such as the library, Computer Sciences, and City Hall, is a nice effect, and allows for the rest of the skyline to be more visible. It's a softer feel, unlike the aggressive walls of skyscrapers on the waterfront of Chicago and Miami.

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The "reading porch" on the building's 6th floor should have a really good view of the Independent I think. Not to mention the 2nd Greenwater residential tower and Austin Proper.

I've been drooling over the thought of this view for a while. When the Proper was announced, the view from the library was one of the first things to come to mind. It's going to be an extremely popular spot (anywhere in/outside the library on the east side) and may be difficult to find any open chairs on a typical day. Even some of the most unappealing suburban libraries are overcrowded.

I really hope that Shoal Creek is dramatically improved. It's pretty ragged, weedy, and nasty looking in some spots. If anyone knows of any grand design for the creek and its trail(s), please post info.

[_Matt]

Thanks Tech, it was a little off topic, that maybe should be moved to Off Topic, but it seemed like the type of thing the forum would be interested in.

The library progress looks fantastic. I took some closeups a month or two ago that I need to post that show the complexity of the poured concrete (versus a simple, flat slab). I don't know if that is why it has seemed to move slower, but I suspect it may be a contributing factor. Each level is thicker than a comparable high rise and the columns are more sparsely separated.

As for Shoal Creek, the closest I've seen is this Shoal Creek Library - Task Force Report from 2010. The Independent also mentions "enhanced Shoal Creek" in its marketing material.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by Tech House

I really hope that Shoal Creek is dramatically improved. It's pretty ragged, weedy, and nasty looking in some spots. If anyone knows of any grand design for the creek and its trail(s), please post info.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ht=shoal+creek

[oberthewhat]

Originally Posted by IluvATX

Apparently...It was made by someone who has no concept of construction or architecture.

wow. Can't we all just enjoy the fact that we are interested in the same topics. Here, I made a joke. More to say how I'm ready for this thing to be done, and when you want something to be finished, things seem to crawl along. i didn't realize i touched your butt.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by Tech House

I really hope that Shoal Creek is dramatically improved. It's pretty ragged, weedy, and nasty looking in some spots. If anyone knows of any grand design for the creek and its trail(s), please post info.

The Shoal Creek Conservancy blog is the best place to find the latest updates. Like this one. This will be a huge improvement to the Shoal Creek Trail through a key piece of downtown:
http://www.shoalcreekconservancy.org...-city-council/

[Tech House]

Thanks, Matt, Ipzzjb, and paul78701, for the info about Shoal Creek. I'm just blown away by the amount of positive change happening in central Austin, and even more blown away that so many people feel like Austin has been ruined by all these improvements. I mean, it's not like the city donated 3 blocks on Congress Ave. for an indoor mall, right? These creek restoration and trail improvement projects should be appealing to everyone, even grumpy old-timers. The new library will please nearly everyone, and will be one that attracts national, if not international, attention for its design and innovations.

If you ignore traffic woes, and maybe the ever-present spectre of drought, then we're surely living in Austin's golden age. The best is yet to come!

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Tech House

Thanks, Matt, Ipzzjb, and paul78701, for the info about Shoal Creek. I'm just blown away by the amount of positive change happening in central Austin, and even more blown away that so many people feel like Austin has been ruined by all these improvements. I mean, it's not like the city donated 3 blocks on Congress Ave. for an indoor mall, right? These creek restoration and trail improvement projects should be appealing to everyone, even grumpy old-timers. The new library will please nearly everyone, and will be one that attracts national, if not international, attention for its design and innovations.

If you ignore traffic woes, and maybe the ever-present spectre of drought, then we're surely living in Austin's golden age. The best is yet to come!

I don't get that either. There certainly are things I miss about "the old Austin" - even the old skyline at times (I really do). But, downtown is incredibly more interesting, safe and fun now than it was years ago. Of course I agree there needs to be a balance to where growth goes. For instance, I'd be against bars or clubs being forced out by property values only to be replaced by more high rises. I'd rather those bars and clubs stay and contribute to the neighborhood as they've done for decades. And, I don't want to see them bought out for the same reason only to be redeveloped and change the neighborhood. Parking lots are fair game to be replaced, and abandoned buildings or ones where the owner would like to get out from under it would be a good idea to be replaced. I see a lot of comments on Facebook about the new development in downtown and citywide really, and I hear about people declaring they're moving or wishing they could because "Californians" or whatever else. That baffles me, because what made this city great weren't really the buildings or spaces we had then, it was the people. I refuse to believe that bringing in more people even from other places could change or harm that. I think it injects the possibility of new ideas and style. That's ok. I am against old school Austinites fleeing, though. That, more than anything else, would change the character of Austin. The creative genius and personality of Austin is its people, not the buildings they live in. Sure, there are good memories in those places, but it was the people who did something that made something memorable and everyone else who enjoyed it. I do worry that if old school Austinites leave, some of those old stories will die off and we will have forgotten where we came from if it's only the younger generations who weren't around then or people from somewhere else who also were here to experience it.

We used to go downtown as a family back in the 90s. We always did goofy stuff like going to the train station, sit and talk and watch trains. Or we'd go to the Capitol and wander around. We lost my dad to cancer in 1998, and I often wonder what he'd think of all the growth in downtown and the new fun things to do. We spent a lot of time walking around downtown. I certainly wonder what he and his friend would have thought of say, the boardwalk or Butler Park. I imagine they would have loved it.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I see a lot of comments on Facebook about the new development in downtown and citywide really, and I hear about people declaring they're moving or wishing they could because "Californians" or whatever else.

It drives me nuts when people complain about all the "Californians". They base that comment off of nothing at all. They're just repeating what they hear other people say. More people move to Texas (maybe Austin too) from California than from any other state. But I believe, in fact, that most of the people that move to Austin are from OTHER PARTS OF TEXAS NOT CALIFORNIA.

[lzppjb]

Stuff like Trader Joe's and In-n-Out coming here don't help the "Damn Californians" complaint.

[austlar1]

I asked myself the other day what I missed most about "the old Austin", and it really all came down to people. Austin used to move more slowly, and people were just a lot nicer most of the time. There is an edge to Austin nowadays, and it is not the overwhelmingly friendly place that it used to be. That has a lot to do with some of the newcomers, but it also has to do with the increased traffic and the increased cost of living. People have to work a lot harder to stay afloat in modern day Austin. It is a much more competitive place than it used to be. It is also a lot trendier. That is how things are in big cities, and Austin has become a kind of big city with some big city ways in the past decade or so.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

Stuff like Trader Joe's and In-n-Out coming here don't help the "Damn Californians" complaint.

I like In-n-Out. The food is good and the prices are even better. I like Dan's a lot, and even went to the one in Buda tonight for a Hickory burger, but the service wasn't very good. Too rushed. In Buda? lol I don't really care so much where a place is based as long as the food is good. Good food from California is better than bad food from Texas or anywhere else. I despise national chains, but it's mostly because of the quality of the food (or lack of it) and the poor rushed service where they mess up your order.

Anyway, how 'bout that library? lol

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I like In-n-Out. The food is good and the prices are even better. I like Dan's a lot, and even went to the one in Buda tonight for a Hickory burger, but the service wasn't very good. Too rushed. In Buda? lol I don't really care so much where a place is based as long as the food is good. Good food from California is better than bad food from Texas or anywhere else. I despise national chains, but it's mostly because of the quality of the food (or lack of it) and the poor rushed service where they mess up your order.

Anyway, how 'bout that library? lol

It's topped out. That's all I got.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I am against old school Austinites fleeing, though. That, more than anything else, would change the character of Austin. The creative genius and personality of Austin is its people, not the buildings they live in.

Many old school Austinites are gone and it shows. The city was changing rapidly when I moved here in 1990, so fast that within just 4 years a lot of what I loved had already changed or vanished. It was small enough back then to have a community feel, where you could go out to hear live music and a lot of people knew each other as well as knowing the musicians. Like a big family gathering. I loved that vibe and I miss it now, but I like what has replaced it and I'm not big on nostalgia. The only reality is in the present moment, and the present moment is pretty nice.

Almost all of the complaints I hear about Austin are in reference to how it has changed. People clinging to memories as if they are real, then comparing their memory to actual reality. This is a miserable and stressful way to live. Stories about the past can be fun and/or instructive, but a lot of people get stuck in their stories and can't seem to appreciate anything about the 'here and now.'

These new age thoughts are brought to you by California, the only state with a Zen governor. See, if I hadn't moved here from Cali, who would tell the natives to stop reminiscing and just enjoy what is actually happening, free of judgment and comparison?

[_Matt]

They have begun installing brackets on the north side of the building. At first I thought they were for a glass curtain wall, but the renderings show irregularly sized brick. Either way, the walls may start to get their textures pretty soon.

Also, I had not seen this presentation posted before. It includes highlights on a "modern library" including Xbox One/Playstation video gaming area, 3D printer, self-publishing printer. Good talking points for those library naysayers.

http://www.austinlibrary.com/downloa...2015_Jan28.pdf

[_Matt]

Also, yeah, the reading porch democratizes the most excellent view of Town Lake. The library will be the only public place where anybody can sit 6 floors above downtown and watch the water flow from the central slice of Texas down to the gulf.

It's really nice that while Seaholm itself went to a private entity, there's a larger public facility (arguably more dynamic) being built next door.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by _Matt

They have begun installing brackets on the north side of the building. At first I thought they were for a glass curtain wall, but the renderings show irregularly sized brick. Either way, the walls may start to get their textures pretty soon.

Also, I had not seen this presentation posted before. It includes highlights on a "modern library" including Xbox One/Playstation video gaming area, 3D printer, self-publishing printer. Good talking points for those library naysayers.

http://www.austinlibrary.com/downloa...2015_Jan28.pdf

The City has done an excellent job of adding stuff to the library to make it more relevant in today's internet society.