The Republic
Project Stats
- Location
Austin, Texas
- Size
800,000 SF
- Market
- Expertise
A new landmark for Austin
The angled form of The Republic adds a dramatic, contemporary profile to Austin’s skyline and brings much-needed high-end office space, distinctive amenities and street-level retail to the Central Business District. With its height and location on a full block next to Republic Square — a fully renovated urban park that was one of Austin’s four original public squares — the building is a city landmark.
Rainwater harvested from the plaza and an upper-level amenity terrace add to the building’s sustainable features. The building is designed for LEED Silver and LEED Austin Energy Green building certification.
Standing out
Amidst an abundance of new tower construction in downtown Austin, the design’s angled form adds a contemporary profile to stand out in its skyline. Visible from across the Colorado River, the tapered structure is aspirational, while lower levels reinforce neighborhood connections for office workers, residents and visitors. To answer one of the greatest challenges of urban sites — accommodating parking — the simple strategy of cladding the parking base with the same patterning makes the parking levels indistinguishable and allows the vertical face of the tower to extend from ground to sky.
Stepping back
The structure steps back nearly 60 feet on its block to create a generous addition to the park and to the activities of the community, such as art exhibits, festivals and farmers’ markets that can blend the tower’s open plaza with the park. The tower’s ground level plaza offers seating, shade trees and open space. Its surrender of significant ground-level space to align with and respect the historic public square across the street builds cohesion between users and the public and advances wellness in new outdoor space.
An upper-level sky terrace on the eastern side punctuates the clean, sloping design and offers views of the Colorado River. The tower’s east elevation includes a balcony at every level to provide outdoor opportunities for office workers. A main terrace and green space atop the tower’s podium parking provide tenants with multiple outdoor seating options and social areas as well as extensive views of Republic Square Park to the north. Within the lobby, alternative work and meeting spaces offer views that extend to the park.
