One Congress Plaza, Skyscraper in downtown Austin, United States.
One Eleven Congress, formerly One Congress Plaza, is a 30-story, 397-foot (121 m) tower at Congress Avenue designed by Victor A. Lundy with HKS, Inc. Its stepped pyramid form, set back to meet a 1931 height restriction, is clad in red granite and bronze-tinted glass, with blue neon lining each setback. The lobby ceiling is patterned Burmese teak, and the sunken plaza holds Fareground, a food hall of Austin vendors.
The building was completed in 1987 during a major expansion phase of Austin's downtown area. It represented part of a broader wave of development that transformed the city center during the late 1980s.
The sunken plaza hosts the AMOA Art Show and is now called Fareground, a food hall in the lower lobby with Austin-based vendors and a bar. The 2017 renovation added astroturf hills, new seating and native landscaping. The building has carried several names: Norwest Plaza, Franklin Federal Plaza and One Congress Plaza before becoming One Eleven Congress.
The food hall in the lobby provides easy access to dining options while visiting the plaza area. The connected parking garage makes it convenient if you arrive by car and want to spend time in the surrounding downtown district.
The 2017 renovation added a water feature of 12 stainless steel poles, 20 to 30 feet tall, that release mist made from condensation collected from the building's air conditioning system. The poles stand in the sunken plaza, where the AMOA Art Show has also been held.
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