Frost Bank Tower

Coordinates: 30°15′59″N 97°44′34″W / 30.266489°N 97.742689°W / 30.266489; -97.742689
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This article is about the skyscraper in Austin. For the San Antonio skyscraper, see Frost Tower (San Antonio).
Frost Bank Tower
The Frost Bank Tower
Map
Alternative namesFBT, Congress at Fourth, Fourth & Congress
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice[1]
Location401 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas[1]
Coordinates30°15′59″N 97°44′34″W / 30.266489°N 97.742689°W / 30.266489; -97.742689
Construction startedNovember 27, 2001[1]
Completed2003
OpeningJanuary 23, 2004 [2]
Cost$137 million[3]
Height
Roof515 ft (157 m)[1]
Top floor400 ft (122 m)[1]
Technical details
Floor count33[1]
Floor area50,680 m2 (545,500 sq ft)[1]
Lifts/elevators15
Design and construction
Architect(s)HKS, Inc., Duda/Paine Architects
DeveloperCousins Properties
Structural engineerBrockette Davis Drake[3]
Main contractorConstructors & Associates Inc.[1]

The Frost Bank Tower is a skyscraper in

class A office building with 525,000 sq ft (48,774 m2) of leasable space.[5][6] It was the first high-rise building to be constructed in the United States after the 9/11 attacks.[7] The building was officially dedicated in January 2004.[2]

The Frost Bank Tower was designed by Duda/Paine Architects, LLP and

San Antonio–based Frost Bank, whose Austin headquarters and insurance division are in the building.[7] Tenants in the building besides Frost Bank include the Austin offices of Morgan Stanley, Ernst & Young, and PIMCO
. The silvery blue color glass facade was first used on the Reuters Building in New York City.[7] Cousins sold the building in 2006 to EQ Office for $188 million before the building was sold to Thomas Properties Group the same year. In 2013, ownership of the building transferred to Parkway Properties. The building is currently owned by Endeavor Real Estate Group.

History

Photograph at elevation of the upper portions of the skyscraper
Frost Bank Tower at dusk in 2015

Beginning in 1998, a

Merrill Lynch in response to the project's announcement.[18][16]: A16  Construction of the tower began on November 27, 2001;[7][19] at the time, the building was the tallest in the U.S. to begin construction after the September 11 attacks.[7]

In March 2003,

Houston, Texas, (excluding the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio).[25] The 99 ft (30 m) crown atop the building was ceremonially illuminated for the first time on the night of January 21, 2004. Over 700 people attended the event, including Turan Duda, the skyscraper's lead architect.[26][27][28]

After Austin's skyscraper construction boom, which began in 2007, Frost Bank Tower was soon surpassed in height by the 360 Condominiums at 581 ft (177 m) in 2008. As of March 2011, it is the 54th tallest building in Texas.[25] In 2006, Cousins Properties sold the building for $188 million to EQ Office, which eventually sold it to Thomas Properties Group.[29][30] Currently, there are many notable tenants in the building, including Frost Bank, Morgan Stanley, Ernst & Young, PIMCO, UTIMCO, and Heritage Title Co.[31][32][33][34]

Architecture

Designed by

vehicles
.

Critics' responses

The Frost Bank Tower's design received a polarized response upon its completion.[38] Austin American-Statesman columnist John Kelso compared the building's crown to an enormous set of nose hair trimmers.[39] Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, a Statesman art critic, opined that the "jagged form of the crown looks more like a riff on the post-modern ornamentation of the 1980s than any kind of newly inspired form."[38]

Austin Chronicle readers voted the Frost Bank Tower as the "Best New Building (Past Five Years)" in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. It was also voted for best architecture in 2004 and 2005.[40][41][42][43][44] The newspaper also said that the "owl face of the Frost Bank Tower" helps keep Austin "characteristically weird".[40] The tower was awarded the 2005 International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) Award of Merit for lighting design by Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design for its "second set of narrowly focused accent lights that showcase the vertical mullions at the setback near the building top" and "monumental custom sconces that add scale and create a welcoming frame around the opening portals of the lobby". The building also won the 2003 Texas Construction Magazine Award of Merit.[45][46][47]

Amenities

The Frost Bank Tower contains a wide variety of

mechanical penthouse during the topping out ceremony.[7]

Position in Austin's skyline

At the time of its construction in 2004, the Frost Bank Tower was the tallest building in Austin. In 2023 it fell to the 9th tallest completed building. The building covers most of its block, which is located near the center of downtown at 4th Street and

Congress Avenue.[1] When it was completed, along with its location in the skyline, matched with its height, excited Austinites and was known as a centerpiece to the skyline.[40][41][42][43][44]

The Frost Bank Tower was known as a centerpiece to the skyline

Gallery

  • Lobby of the tower
    Lobby of the tower
  • Aerial view of Frost Tower from 1,500 ft (457 m)
    Aerial view of Frost Tower from 1,500 ft (457 m)
  • Street view from the corner of 5th Street and Guadalupe Avenue
    Street view from the corner of 5th Street and Guadalupe Avenue
  • Street view from Congress Avenue
    Street view from Congress Avenue

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Frost Bank Tower". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  2. ^ a b "Cousins Properties Opens Frost Bank Tower; 33-Story, 525,000-square-foot office tower is largest..." AllBusiness.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  3. ^ a b c Rea, Mark (2003). Frost Bank Tower To Give New Glow To Austin Skyline. Texas Construction Magazine, 08/2003. Accessed 2010-05-05.
  4. ^ "Buildings of Austin". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  5. ^ a b "4th and Congress Development Site". T. Stacy & Associates. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  6. ^ "Frost Bank Tower". Steel Buildings. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Frost Bank Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Land purchases completed". Austin Business Journal. Austin, Texas: American City Business Journals. August 2, 1999. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Breyer, R. Michelle (June 11, 1999). "Group plans 27-story, $99 million project". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. D1, D8. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Hudgins, Matt (June 14, 1999). "Wynn, Stacy plan tower". Austin Business Journal. Austin, Texas: Austin City Business Journals. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  11. ^ Brick, Michael (August 7, 2002). "COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE; Vacancy Rate Aside, a Tower Rises in Austin". New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  12. ^ Lorenz, Perry (January 28, 2001). "Building takes a breather". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. A1, A18–A19. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Novak, Shonda (February 1, 2001). "Movin' on up at Fourth Street". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. D1–D2. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Commercial real estate". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. May 5, 2001. p. G2. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Breyer, R. Michelle (September 2, 2001). "Downtown Austin rolls with the punches". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. K1, K3. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Novak, Shonda (November 2, 2001). "New high-rise will tower over Congress". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. A1, A16. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Green, Tim (November 1, 2001). "Cousins Gets Moving on 525,000-SF CBD Office Project". ALM. Globest.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  18. ^ Hudgins, Matt (November 25, 2001). "Cousins tower questioned". Austin Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  19. ^ "Making room for Cousins". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. November 23, 2001. p. C1. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Novak, Shonda (March 12, 2003). "Frost Bank will move to Congress at Fourth". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. C1, C3. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ a b c Novak, Shonda (May 29, 2003). "Austin's tallest building marks milestone with tree tradition". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. pp. C1, C3. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "High-rise nets seafood eatery". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. April 2, 2003. p. D2. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Congress at Fourth attracts nationally known restaurant". Austin Business Journal. Austin, Texas: American City Business Journals. April 1, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2003.
  24. ^ "A high point for a new skyscraper". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. May 29, 2003. p. A1. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ a b "Texas Skyscraper Diagrams". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  26. ^ Novak, Shonda (January 17, 2004). "Frost Bank Tower set to light the night". Austin American–Statesman. pp. A1, A14. Retrieved May 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Novak, Shonda (January 21, 2004). "Frost Bank Tower set to light the night". Austin American–Statesman. p. B1. Retrieved May 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Skelding, Laura (January 22, 2004). "Austin's new look for nighttime". Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. A1. Retrieved May 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Thomas Properties Group Announces Acquisition of Austin Office Portfolio" (Press release). Business Wire. September 19, 2012.
  30. ^ "Frost Bank Tower under Contract for $180 Million". AllBusiness.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  31. ^ "Cousins Signs Morgan Stanley at Frost Bank Tower; Deals Continue Momentum of January Grand Opening at New Austin Landmark". BusinessWire. Atlanta, Georgia: Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  32. ^ "Ernst & Young Heads For Frost". American City Business Journals. 2005-12-18. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  33. ^ "UTIMCO leases space at Frost Bank Tower". American City Business Journals. 2005-02-03. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  34. ^ "Frost Bank Tower gains tenant, may get another". American City Business Journals. 2003-10-05. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  35. ^ "Famous Buildings of Austin". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2007-04-29. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  36. ^ "Frost Bank Tower". The City of Austin. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  37. ^ "Frost Bank Tower, Austin, TX" (PDF). Elliptipar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  38. ^ a b Rambin, James (March 7, 2019). "Austinites Weren't Always So Sure About Downtown's Iconic Frost Bank Tower". Austin TOWERS. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  39. ^ Kelso, John (October 12, 2007). "Calling all yuppies: I can't find that Frost Bank Tower". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. B01.
  40. ^ a b c "Best of Austin 2005". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  41. ^ a b "Best of Austin 2004". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  42. ^ a b "Best of Austin 2006". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  43. ^ a b "Best of Austin 2007". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  44. ^ a b "Best of Austin 2008". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  45. ^ "2005 IALD Award Winners (22nd Annual)". IALD. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  46. ^ "Frost Bank Tower". Pavarini. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  47. ^ "Texas Construction's Best of 2003 Awards" (PDF). Texas Construction. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  48. ^ "Office and Retail Space Downtown". Downtownaustin.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-24. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frost Bank Tower.
Preceded by Tallest Building in Austin
2004—2008
515 ft (157 m) 		Succeeded by

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