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ocated on the southeast side of Austin and nestled near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the Met Center is a growing mixed-use business park. Full of hotels and offices, the center also has green space that includes a disc golf course and trails for hiking and biking. The Met Retail building, designed by Studio 8 Architects, is situated at the entry to the Met Center site at the intersection of Highway 71 and Riverside Drive. According to Milton Hime at Studio 8, “Howard Yancy of Zydeco Development wanted something unique because it was the last parcel of land and the most visible. He wanted something simple and clean as the entry feature for Met Center.” The 5,757-sf structure was completed in August 2008. The primary, north elevation of the building is composed of uniform aluminum and glass storefronts marked horizontally with a continuous steel awning. The facility can accommodate up to four tenants and currently houses three restaurants: a Subway, a Jalapeño’s Mexican Food, and a Starbucks with
a drive-through. The building is a creative yet utilitarian response to the programmatic needs of the Met Center. The most readily apparent feature of Met Retail that distinguishes it from other developer-oriented retail projects is the large reinforced concrete wall that constitutes the building’s east facade. This wall is both functional and aesthetic. The height and width of the wall respond to
The most readily apparent feature of Met Retail that distinguishes it from other developer-oriented retail projects is the large reinforced concrete wall that constitutes the building’s east facade. building code requirements for protection from a nearby gas pipeline — it is essentially a blast wall in case of any accidents. It also serves as a sound
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Texas Architect 37