Symphony Square’s Office Building Breaks Ground in Downtown Austin

A view of the 1121 building at East 12th and Red River Streets, with the taller residential tower known as the Waller rising behind it — together, these two buildings make up the mixed-use project known as Symphony Square. Image: R2L

The Symphony Square mixed-use development currently under construction at the corner of 12th and Red River Streets in downtown Austin announced an official groundbreaking today for 1121 at Symphony Square, the seven-story office component of the project. You’ll recall that this site also includes a 32-floor residential tower, known as the Waller, which broke ground last year — and while both buildings are meaningfully connected and share similar designs by R2L Architects, Symphony Square’s developers at national multifamily firm Greystar are treating these two sections of the project as distinct buildings with different identities, as you might have gathered from the different names.

In fact, there are lots of opportunities for getting confused with this project, since its overall name “Symphony Square” is the same as the actual Symphony Square next door, an amphitheater and historic site on Waller Creek currently occupied by the nice folks at Waterloo Greenway and some other interesting buildings. It’s safe to say once this project next door is finished, we can refer to the entire block as Symphony Square with only mild confusion as to which part we’re referring. 

A view of the 1121 building from Red River Street. Image: R2L

For the 1121 project, Greystar has partnered with global real estate development firm Ivanhoé Cambridge to create a 170,000-square-foot office space, along with approximately 5,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground level. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy by spring 2023.

A gym space in the building, with an unbeatable downtown view. Image: R2L 

A lobby space in the building. Image: R2L

The project features interiors by local firm Page, with landscape architecture by Austin firm TBG Partners. Since there’s a residential tower by the same folks going up next door, the building has some interesting amenities — we’re sure you noticed the skybridge in one of the renderings above:

Created with today’s workforce in mind, 1121 at Symphony Square will foster creativity by offering flexible work environments and unique open-air spaces that accommodate solo or collaborative work, and even lab spaces. It will also feature places to recharge, such as a 6,000-square-foot view-filled roof deck on the fifth floor exclusively for tenant use; private balconies on floors 1-4; and end-of-trip facilities including a bike storage room to cultivate tenant wellbeing. The distinctive and aesthetically appealing building also has a strong focus on sustainability, including pursuing LEED Gold certification.

Office tenants at 1121 at Symphony Square will also enjoy elevated amenities shared with The Waller next door. Via a bridge on the building’s fifth floor, tenants will be able to access a two-story fitness center equipped with turf lawn, a lap pool, locker rooms, and a yoga room. A lounge and ground-floor coffee shop will also be offered to tenants.

— 1121 at Symphony Square Announcement

That’s all well and good, sure — but have you noticed that this building is really blue?