Music Lane Development

In the heart of Austin, the eclectic South Congress neighborhood is a social hub and city landmark, a walkable exhibition of Austin’s one-of-a-kind local character. The design of Music Lane focuses on extending the pedestrian experience along South Congress deep into the site, which includes new mixed-use and creative office spaces featuring a diverse range of retail, dining, entertainment, and fitness options. The project covers three city blocks in three significant buildings and includes a four-story below grade parking garage. Shaded courtyards, paseos, and expansive outdoor decks and rooftop spaces encourage visitors to linger, energizing the property and reinforcing its role as an urban destination.

South Congress District

A Decades-Long Transformation

The eclectic South Congress neighborhood has come a long way in 30 years, from a car-dependent area to one of the most vibrant stretches of restaurants and shops in Texas. Over several decades, Lake Flato has helped transform over 500,000 square feet of South Congress Avenue, with Music Lane representing its largest addition. Extending from Music Lane, Lake Flato also designed City View Development, Equinox Austin, Soho House Austin, Hotel Magdalena, Statehouse Development, and further afield, the YETI flagship store and Hotel San Jose.

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City View Development

This 4-level project offers mixed-use core and shell commercial space on South Congress Avenue, just north of the Music Lane Development. The first three floors are home to Equinox Fitness Club, with the upper floor providing 12,500 square feet of commercial office space and a private patio.

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Equinox South Congress

Located within the City View development is the 30,000 square foot upscale, full-service fitness club Equinox, featuring a wide range of Equinox-branded services, products, and programs, including strength and cardio training, studio classes, and personal training.

Equinox Austin
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Soho House Austin

Soho House offers a variety of settings for creative inspiration and causal glamor.  Lake Flato worked in close collaboration with Soho House’s design team to execute the project, coordinating the design of the Soho space within the Music Lane shell building.

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Hotel Magdalena

The first mass-timber boutique hotel in North America, Hotel Magdalena sits at the back of the Music Lane site and is served by its underground parking. Hotel Magdalena offers a unique experience that recalls the lake houses and natural springs found in the Hill Country region.

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Statehouse Development

The Statehouse Development is a four-story mixed-use office building with ground-floor retail that seamlessly integrates with an existing apartment complex known as the Statehouse. Studio8 served as the Architect of Record with Lake Flato as the Design Architect.

Music Lane’s mixed-use storefront, hospitality, and office spaces feature a diverse range of retail, dining, entertainment, and workplace options that capture the glitz and grit of Austin. By integrating goals for density, shading, landscape, and pedestrian connectivity where they didn’t previously exist, Music Lane extends and enhances the popular South Congress District—creating a safe, accessible, and enticing destination that references some of the best aspects of walkable Austin.

The buildings are background buildings that come alive with the local talent and energy offered Music Lane’s 29 retail, office, and restaurant tenants. Pedestrian pathways are thoughtfully woven throughout the various restaurants, retailers, and shops—creating an immersive experience where visitors are encouraged to linger, enjoy a variety of experiences, and feel connected to the setting.

Music Lane’s three-city-block design focuses on extending the pedestrian experience along South Congress deep into the site. The project team wanted to develop an architecture that could adapt over time as the nature of retail and office spaces change—a priority amplified by the pandemic. The result is a timeless series of structures that are easily adaptable while embracing the site’s urban context within a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Engaging the Site

Music Lane represents the largest addition to the South Congress district in recent history. Storefronts and open paseos engage pedestrians at the street level, while a diverse tenant mix attracts both local shoppers and visitors.