The Castle
in the Sky...
Hailed as the most dazzling building in Austin since its 1929 debut, the Norwood Tower resembles a classic fairy-tale castle. The dramatic façade of this elegant Gothic Revival office tower stuns the viewer with its eclectic confection of finials, gargoyles, and ornate tracery full of romance, mystique, and nostalgia.
AUSTIN'S FIRST SKYSCRAPER
Norwood Tower was recognized for decades as the tallest building in downtown Austin. It was the first office building in Austin (and one of the first in the nation) built to be fully air-conditioned. It was also the first to have rooftop gardens, an attached parking garage, a residential penthouse, and a pre-cast exterior.
Circa 1931, Historic Norwood Building
Photo by Jordan Ellison courtesy of Austin History Center,
Austin Public Library