Might be nice to keep it intact as an old-Europe-esque plaza center. I'm thinking specifically of the piazza in Siena Italy. Surround it with apartments, shops, fountains, etc. And feature it as the big draw, the meeting place... just another idea.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Piazza_del_Campo_(Siena).jpg
Quote: Might be nice to keep it intact as an old-Europe-esque plaza center. I'm thinking specifically of the piazza in Siena Italy. Surround it with apartments, shops, fountains, etc. And feature it as the big draw, the meeting place... just another idea. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Piazza_del_Campo_(Siena).jpg
The most recent Mueller illustrative plan Is consistant with Vaden's image but smaller in scale as the Control Tower is designed as a destination meeting place in the interior of a circle drive.
5 . 5 TO W E R PA R K
The utilization of the original aircraft control tower as a prominent visual landmark
and activity center within the Mueller community is an important project goal. At
approximately 100 feet in height, the tower will provide a provocative focal point
for the community and help to celebrate the aviation history of the site. The plan
has been carefully configured to give the tower a significant gateway role along the central transit boulevard, and within the community. It is also envisioned as the focal point of the southern neighborhoods, surrounded by mixed-use residential buildings with ground level commercial and community-serving activities and a future rail transit stop. The tower is set in a small semi-circular urban green (see plan on left), which should be designed as a simple and elegant setting for the tower, and as an intimately-scaled neighborhood gathering place. Additions or modifications that detract from the tower’s original form are discouraged. While adaptive reuse of the tower for other activities is desirable, modern-day life-safety and exiting requirements may prevent it from being used as a public assembly building or viewing tower.
Opportunities should be explored for retrofitting the ground floor
of the building as a small interpretive center; the first two floors
of the tower were originally within the terminal building, and
as a result will need to be enclosed and clad in a complementary
manner. Interpretive elements and displays that recall the history
of aviation at Mueller and in Austin are encouraged at the base of
the tower.
The park will be designed as a simple horizontal plaza and green,
that highlight the verticality of the tower. In addition to interpretive
exhibits, provision should be made for seating, small gatherings
and events, as well as informal and passive recreational use.
Landscaping and canopy trees will be provided along the perimeter
of the park to provide shade and greenery, while preserving
sight lines to the tower from the
Quote: 5 . 5 TO W E R PA R K The utilization of the original aircraft control tower as a prominent visual landmark and activity center within the Mueller community is an important project goal. At approximately 100 feet in height, the tower will provide a provocative focal point for the community and help to celebrate the aviation history of the site. The plan has been carefully configured to give the tower a significant gateway role along the central transit boulevard, and within the community. It is also envisioned as the focal point of the southern neighborhoods, surrounded by mixed-use residential buildings with ground level commercial and community-serving activities and a future rail transit stop. The tower is set in a small semi-circular urban green (see plan on left), which should be designed as a simple and elegant setting for the tower, and as an intimately-scaled neighborhood gathering place. Additions or modifications that detract from the tower’s original form are discouraged. While adaptive reuse of the tower for other activities is desirable, modern-day life-safety and exiting requirements may prevent it from being used as a public assembly building or viewing tower. Opportunities should be explored for retrofitting the ground floor of the building as a small interpretive center; the first two floors of the tower were originally within the terminal building, and as a result will need to be enclosed and clad in a complementary manner. Interpretive elements and displays that recall the history of aviation at Mueller and in Austin are encouraged at the base of the tower. The park will be designed as a simple horizontal plaza and green, that highlight the verticality of the tower. In addition to interpretive exhibits, provision should be made for seating, small gatherings and events, as well as informal and passive recreational use. Landscaping and canopy trees will be provided along the perimeter of the park to provide shade and greenery, while preserving sight lines to the tower from the
I like the part about highlighting the verticality of the Tower. The design standards suggest that a simple horizontal plaza and green is the best way to highlight the Tower’s verticality. I thought the NOEL lighted sign was a much more subtle way to highlight the Tower’s verticality, but I do understand that a lighted Noel sign just wouldn’t be a proper way to highlight the Tower’s verticality in the torridly hot summer months.
Now I don’t mean to sound awfully dense, but what other kind of plaza is there except a horizontal one? And wouldn’t there be better ways to highlight the verticality of the Tower besides the (redundantly) horizontal plaza and accompanying green?
My idea for the best way to highlight the verticality of the Tower is to post neon signs all around the horizontal plaza and green that say “Look up!” A close second choice would be to dig a deep hole around the Tower so that people wishing to really appreciate the verticality of the Tower could go down in the hole and then look up toward the top of the Tower.
On second thought, I think we might want to highlight the verticality of the Tower by just replacing the winter holiday semi-religious Noel sign with more seasonally appropriate signs during other parts of the year. In the spring, the Tower would have a sign that said something like “Round Up Weekend”. In the summer, “Damn It’s Hot”. And in the fall, “Boo!” So what if it costs the neighborhood $10,000 a pop to put up four different lighted signs for the four seasons? At least we would be able to highlight the verticality of the Tower in a more effective way than just the horizontal plaza and green that so far exists only in somebody’s dreams.
I’m going back to my Lazy Boy recliner to think on this some more and ponder how to highlight the "scoopa-cality" of dog poop. We need some design standards to get that done. Thank you.
By the way, has anybody noticed that the Tower is a wreck?
Quote: By the way, has anybody noticed that the Tower is a wreck?
Yes, Catellus plans to rehab it this year to its original state. The current black glass is not the original color. The tower was originally clad in medium blue and a light blue. A few blue panels can be seen on the east face of the tower.
All I know is sometime in 2010. Catellus should have updated info at the following meetings:
The Mueller Community Associations and Catellus will be hosting a series of quarterly Community Updates this year. These informal gatherings will include a developer update, MCA property owner association information and allow time for questions and answers. They may also focus on specific topics of interest as needed. Please save the following 2010 dates on your calendar:
March 24th 6 – 7:30 PM at Mueller Central June 16th 6 – 7:30 PM at Mueller Central September 1st 6 – 7:30 PM at Mueller Central November in conjunction with MCA Annual Meeting TBD
Other routine opportunities to stay in touch with the latest on Mueller include the City of Austin’s Mueller Plan Implementation Advisory Commission meeting (second Tuesday of each month at the Waller Creek Center); Mueller’s community association newsletter (first edition coming out soon); and Community Update e-mails sent by Jennifer Harvey, Mueller’s Community Manager. If you have a question, please don’t wait for a meeting to ask – you can e-mail ContactUs@MuellerAustin.com, call us at 703-9202 or visit Mueller Central where we are available to assist you.
