herzog & de meuron weaves mixed-use timber development into existing austin street front

Herzog & de Meuron unveils Sixth & Blanco development in texas

 

Architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron reveals plans for the ‘Sixth & Blanco’ mixed-use development in Austin, Texas. The project, adjacent to downtown and the Colorado River, fills the site with a continuous horizontal wooden structure built around traditional shops, notable restaurants, and galleries dating back to 1920. Taking key ingredients from its surrounding context, and distributing them throughout a dense yet permeable program, the project establishes an active neighborhood street front and highlights the area as one of Austin’s most desirable districts.

the project fills the site with a continuous horizontal wooden structure built around traditional shops, restaurants, and galleries

all images courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

 

 

mass timber structure brings domestic comfort 

 

The renders unveiled by Herzog & de Meuron (see more here) depict a mass timber structure rising above and through the original shopfronts. The entire project is covered in wood of various designs, with more tightly knit patterns emerging as the building rises. The architecture combines vernacular elements with contemporary solutions, incorporating generous greenery, passively-cooled indoor/outdoor spaces, and a materiality palette aligned with the historic fabric.

 

The entire ground floor is taken up by an urban carpet of shops and restaurants, and the second floor includes workspaces and offices. The third floor accommodates a hotel, while the fourth and fifth floors are dedicated to private residences. From a pedestrian point of view, the construction appears as a collection of two-story buildings arranged around landscaped courtyards. As the building rises higher, the project moves away from the street and becomes less dense, allowing for a network of outdoor circulation areas with gardens, courtyards, and porches on every floor. Instead of being a single, uniform gesture, the project takes shape as a complex of numerous unique elements, giving all occupants a sense of human scale and domestic comfort.

the building is perceived as a series of two-story structures organized around planted courtyards

the entire project is covered in wood of various designs, with more tightly knit patterns emerging as the building rises

 

 

project info: 

 

 

name: Sixth & Blanco
architects: Herzog & de Meuron
location: Austin, Texas

myrto katsikopoulou I designboom

aug 09, 2022