Roger Lavon Taylor Sr. Plaza

Austin, TX

Services Provided

Landscape Architecture, Community Engagement, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation, Project Management, Construction Observation, Operations and Maintenance Plan

Collaborators

Banbury (formerly Catellus), City of Austin Economic Development, Civilitude, TYLin (formerly AEC), JAS Irrigation, Development Associates of Texas, Encotech Engineering, Oldner Lighting

A dynamic park plaza nestled around Austin’s historic Mueller Airport Control Tower.

The Mueller Control Tower Plaza is affectionately named after Roger Lavon Taylor Sr., a past member of the Mueller Community who worked tirelessly to save the former Airport Tower from demolition. Now the iconic Mueller Tower stands as a historic and beloved landmark in the vibrant Mueller Neighborhood.

The design wraps two sculptural landforms around the Tower that support a bridged path where visitors can view both the beloved landmark and views of Downtown Austin beyond from a higher vantage point. This accessible route, lined with shade trees, connects the generous open deck space at the top of the taller land-form with the shaded gravel plaza and open lawn space located at the top of the lower land-form. Both landform hillsides are lushly planted to create a truly immersive experience full of native grasses, forbs and shrubs reminiscent of the Blackland Prairie. The ground level plaza includes various seating areas for rest, relaxation, and outdoor dining.