Austin postmodernism gets another run

A mainstay downtown hotel built in 1984 is getting a new life in something like its original style.

Downright Austin, which is part of the Renaissance Hotels brand as well as a Marriott Bonvoy particpant, will open this spring at 701 East 11th Street, longtime site of a stalwart Sheraton. It will have 367 guest rooms including five suites, 31,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event spaces, new culinary concepts, and what press materials describe as a "bold and postmodern lobby experience."

The building's multimillion-dollar renovation will play up the Downright's location near the Texas Capitol, the Moody Amphitheater, and the Red River Cultural District's music-row vibe — all of which have contributed to the hotel's long reign as a popular place to stay during events such as South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Downright designers apparently intend to level up from the hotel's previously workaday nature, adding "an elevated social scene and an exciting calendar of curated programming and events," according to press materials, but doubling down on the spirit of its original era: 

The architecture boldly expresses this ethos through its unapologetic pink hue and modernist geometry. The building seamlessly blends postmodern elements with timeless design, bridging the past and present of Austin. Featuring an open and airy ambiance, natural terra-cotta colors and textures, abundant greenery, natural light and checkerboard design, the hotel will encapsulate the essence of Austin's vibrant spirit.

Miami hospitality brand Lost Boy & Co. and local bar, restaurant, and festival concessionaire FBR Management will collaborate on new dining and cocktail  establishments for guests — a restaurant featuring summer-style fare in a sunken dining room with submarine views of the pool and a lobby walk-up counter serving morning coffee and takeout breakfast for locals and hotel guests.