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In 1962, the internationally-acclaimed architect Edward Durell Stone (1902-1978) of New York City and local firm Fehr & Granger designed the Westgate Tower, named for its location adjoining the west edge of the Texas State Capitol grounds. Designed for the Lumbermen's Investment Corporation of Austin, the Westgate Tower was the tallest building constructed in Austin during the 1960s at 261 feet in height. Under the leadership of Julian H. Zimmerman and in coordination with Stone, Austin's first residential high-rise opened in 1965 with apartments, parking, restaurant and social club. The mixed-use building is of poured-in-place, monolithic reinforced concrete clad in brown brick sourced from the locally-based Butler Brick Company, with full-length windows and individual balconettes between brick-faced columns. Decorative masonry solar screens, a distinctive characteristic of Stone's mid- twentieth-century Modern architecture, allow light to enter the parking garage and top two floors while offering privacy and shade from the Texas sun. The 26-story tower is arranged around a central core of elevators and a staircase, and all residential units open to expansive views of the Capitol grounds and city of Austin, a key element of Stone's design. Intended to serve as a prototype for other apartments and office Towers in Austin, the Westgate Tower has historically been home to many State Representatives and Senators, state employees, political activists and lobbyists, and local business leaders. Combining residential and commercial space, the Westgate Tower significantly contributed to the urban planning and development of downtown Austin. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2012 |
