Mansion Under Renovation – Austin, Texas

During my exploration of downtown, I came up upon this mansion under renovation. I found no signs indicating its history. The house sat alone, apart from other buildings, except for the wall of glass in the distance.

Two days ago, I talked about the disappointing design of the Austin Fairmont Hotel. The eastern facade is the most attractive, giving it a slender appearance. The northern and southern sides are giant formless sheets of glass. At least the vertical pattern mercifully breaks up the large expanse. You can see this northern exposure behind the mansion.

From this vantage point, the glass becomes an abstract design. It’s completely over-scaled in relation to the house, and stands like a monolith. I do, however, like the contrast between the old-world under renovation, and the stark modernism as a backdrop.

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