HOK is honored to be the architectural design team for the long awaited, state-of-the-art planetarium, science museum and technology center in Austin’s Museum District. Together with Austin Planetarium, a grassroots nonprofit with the goal of building a world-class science and technology museum in Central Texas, and KUD International, a private sector development firm. Executive Director, Torvald Hessel says, “The need, for a science and technology museum, specifically in Central Texas, has been recognized for thirty years.”

This public-private partnership will create a mixed-use development, which includes a residential tower, retail and restaurant facilities, more than a thousand underground parking spaces, and the science and technology museum, home to the largest planetarium in Texas. The Austin Planetarium will enhance Austin’s Museum District, which is currently comprised of the Bob Bullock, Blanton and Texas Memorial Museums. It will also strengthen the connection between education and government in Austin, acting as another link between The University of Texas and the State Capitol.

“The project will make the sciences accessible and the mission of the Austin Planetarium visible to the community,” says Peter Ruggiero, Design Principal for HOK. “Along with our client, HOK is committed to ensuring that cultural institutions such as the Austin Planetarium contribute to the vitality of cities and act as catalysts for positive change.”

The Austin Planetarium is expected to draw more than a million visitors to the Museum District annually. It will showcase how science and technology work together across disciplines through interactive exhibit areas. More information can be found at the following link:

http://www.austinplanetarium.org/

Planetarium View from North Congress Avenue

Austin Planetarium Tower View from MLK Boulevard