Cranes over Lavaca Street – Austin, Texas

From this vantage point on Lavaca Street looking north, you get a good view of downtown Austin construction. Courtesy of what seems like a non-stop building boom. I took this photograph in October, so I believe at least one of the cranes has since been removed.

Most buildings integrate the lower parking structures with the upper tenant spaces. However, 405 Colorado boldly separates them as a design statement. The tower on the right features a terracotta facade for the parking area topped by a glass office. It’s not without some controversy. Though I like it since it’s more than just another safe glass box design.

The tower on the very left appears to have a red crane attached, but that’s an illusion. Built-in 1974, the Chase tower used to be the tallest in Austin until 1975 but is now increasingly overshadowed.

I make these cityscapes on a tripod to optimize the image quality, getting a bus motion blur with my slow 1/4.3 second exposure. It adds a foreground element and a bit of dynamism. It makes Austin look like a city on the move.

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