AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than seven decades after it first opened in the basement of Austin’s famous Driskill Hotel, the Headliners Club’s new home in a downtown skyscraper is getting an upgrade.
Referred to as the “third space” for many of Austin’s elite (after their homes, and offices), the club moved into the 20th and 21st floors of the Chase Tower in the mid-1970s. The construction underway now is the first major renovation to the club in the time since.
“I think the club was lovely and traditional and really represented Austin and the members, but there’s an opportunity for a commitment to some new things,” said McKinnon Morton, the club’s director of member experience.
At a cost of $8 million, the renovation includes a new grand entrance when you step off the elevators with a view looking north over downtown Austin, along with upgrades to the lounges and bar areas, dining rooms, bathrooms, and the kitchen.
“The goal was to keep the vibe the same, keep the ambience the same, but elevated,” said Morton.
The revamp is being led by Michael Hsu, the principal at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
Hsu said the primary focus for him is to surprise and delight members as they arrive back for the first time after construction finishes in the fall.
“We want them to be completely surprised,” he said. “Like we completely blew their expectations for what might be at the top of this building.”
To do that Hsu is using different woods with different finishes, lots of natural materials, including stone, along with custom lighting and furniture. All of those choices are aimed at threading the needle between preserving the club’s legacy while modernizing it.
“We didn’t want it to feel like it just landed here completely new,” Hsu said. “It had to sort of look backwards, but also very much look forward to the future of Austin in the design of the space.”
Among the nearly 1,000 membership holders are past presidents, current senators, business leaders, and the press that covers them.
In addition to a substantial initiation fee and monthly dues, prospective members need to be nominated by two current members in order to join.
“The club is not limited to any type of job experience or where you live or what you do,” Morton said. “It’s truly just a community that you want to be part of.”