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Austin City Hall

 
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The design of Austin City Hall (Austin, Texas) was inspired by the topography of the surrounding Texas Hill Country. The unique design of the building, with few 90-degree angles, made construction particularly challenging. The designers also focused on creating an environmentally friendly building:
  • About 70 percent of the materials in the building come from recycled materials
  • Solar panels are used to produce electricity used in the building.
  • The condensation from the air conditioning system is reused in a fountain in the main plaza.

The roof is standing-seam copper and the top two floors of the four-story building feature copper-clad panels. The patina of the copper is expected to turn a consistent bluish grey color over time. Lueders limestone covers the bottom two floors. Working with this rough, randomly cut stone was much like piecing together an intricate jigsaw puzzle.

Planning for Austin City Hall began in 1998, and construction was completed in 2004.