The Independent (Jenga Tower)

인디펜던트 (젠가 타워)

The Independent is a residential skyscraper in downtown Austin, Texas, at 301 West Avenue. It is 690 feet (210 m) tall, though some sources say 685 feet, and it has 58 floors and about 370 condos. It is the third tallest building in Austin, behind Sixth and Guadalupe (875 feet) and the Waterline (1,025 feet).

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At a glance

Country: United States
Location: Austin, USA
Built: 2019
Height: 211 m
Type: Skyscraper

Quick answers

Where is The Independent (Jenga Tower)?

The Independent (Jenga Tower) is in Austin, USA, United States.

When was The Independent (Jenga Tower) built?

The Independent (Jenga Tower) was built in 2019.

How tall is The Independent (Jenga Tower)?

The Independent (Jenga Tower) is about 211 m tall.

A residential tower in Austin, nicknamed the "Jenga Tower" for its offset stacked blocks.

The tower was proposed in 2014, construction began in 2016, and it was finished in the spring of 2019. Its stacked, shifted blocks made people call it the Jenga Tower or the Tetris Tower. Rhode Partners designed it, and the developers included Aspen Heights and CIM Group.

A tower of blocks

The building looks like boxes stacked slightly off-center, with sections sticking out in different directions, like the wooden game Jenga. The architect, Brett Rhode, has said he did not know what Jenga was until he read an article about his own building. LAM+DCI Engineers were the structural engineers, and Balfour Beatty Construction built it.

From city lot to skyline

The developers bought a 1.7-acre lot at 3rd Street and West Avenue from the city of Austin for 14.5 million dollars. The tower rose over about three years, becoming the tallest in the city for a time before newer towers passed it. Its owner homes range from small condos to large units high above the city.

Living above the city

The ninth floor holds shared spaces such as a heated pool, a club room, a playground and a dog park. The 34th floor has an owner's lounge, a fitness center, a yoga deck and an outdoor lounge. The top of the tower caused debate: some people disliked the crown so much that a group called Fix The Crown was created in March 2019 to protest it.

Fun facts

Its offset stacked blocks earned it the nickname 'Jenga Tower'.
Its nickname 'Jenga Tower' comes from the way its blocks look stacked and shifted.
The tower has 58 floors and about 370 condos.
A protest group named Fix The Crown was created just because people disliked the top of the building.
Its architect said he had never heard of Jenga until he read about his own building.