From Early Skyscraper to Prominent Downtown Address: Tower Life Building Residential Retrofit.

Designed by the notable father-and-son San Antonio architecture team of Atlee and Robert Ayers, the 31-story skyscraper was completed in 1929 and was the tallest building in San Antonio until 1968 (the Tower of the Americas, constructed as the observation deck for Hemisfair, surpassed it). Still very visible in our skyline today, The Tower Life’s deep green tile peaked roof and octagonal plan give the building a recognizable profile. Fanciful cast-stone architectural ornaments borrow from the Gothic Revival style found in 19th-century churches and university buildings, and later, New York’s Woolworth Building (1913). Elegant decorative details like embossed brass mail collection chutes and door pulls evoke a bygone era and are being conserved for reinstallation. The building, originally known as the Smith Young Tower, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

With one foot in a nearly-century-ago past, the Tower Life redevelopment will showcase contemporary urban living. Filling a niche for a clientele attracted to the cultural offerings, restaurants, and lively atmosphere of downtown San Antonio, the building will provide full resident amenities, onsite parking, and a secure environment. Reconfiguration at the ground floor level will feature a restaurant and retail space connecting to the River Walk corridor, a new public realm for the building.

The floors above ground level will offer 244 apartments for lease. Our team of interior designers focused on protecting irreplaceable historic elements in elevator lobbies and apartment spaces. “Design of the apartments will bring out the best in this 1929 legacy building. The palette of interior materials and finishes is tuned for contemporary aesthetics,” adds Victor Castillo, RID, IIDA, and principal leading interior design for Alamo Architects. “The apartments will feel modern, but you will know you’re in a landmark building.”

“This is a special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” notes Beverly Baldwin, Alamo principal and architect of record for the Tower Life adaptive reuse project. “The building has been well maintained, adding to its viability for redevelopment. Adaptive reuse projects strongly contribute to our sense of local identity as a historic city center. We are uniquely suited to this type of retrofit, which combines historic preservation with multifamily residential design, and we are thrilled to be a part of the Tower Life’s second act.”