05.1 - 920 Congress Ave - presentation — original pdf

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SWIFT HOUSE ON CONGRESS Blade Sign Ion Art Project #7346 Sign Permit: 2026-102124 SB Project Address: 920 Congress Ave Austin, TX 78701 Sign Rendering - 920 Congress Ave Facade 920 Congress Ave Proposed Design • Blade Sign • 30” Round Cabinet - Painted Black • Exposed White Neon • Display Area 6.25 sq. ft. • Anchors in grout lines of tiles HISTORY OF 920 CONGRESS AVE Crescent Theater Opened in March of 1913 as the Unique Theater, it was renamed Crescent Theater in September of that same year. It was considered the first theater to show movies in Austin. The theater closed in 1931. Crescent Theater in the 1920’s During the 1920’s the theater would install elaborate masked fronts to promote the current film playing at the time. Face-lit Signage Both facades below have what appears to be an internally lit projecting sign (only the corner is visible on the left image). This could be what was called a Translucent Glass or Spliced Glass Box Sign Example of circa.1920’s spliced glass box sign made by Flexlume The masked front for the 1923 movie Circus Days starring Jackie Coogan features a caged lion, an elephant, and other circus acts The painted rocks on this masked front for the 1923 silent film 6 Days is likely a representation of the cave in that traps the characters underground for 6 days Congress Ave - October 5, 1949 (Facing South from 10th St) Liberty Cafe - 920 Congress Ave After 1931 - Updated Facades After the closing of the Crescent Theater, there is little information on the updates made to this block of buildings. However, there are photographs dating from as early as 1949 that show the Liberty Cafe at 920 Congress. The photo captures the alterations made to the ground floor facade, including the enclosing of the entrance and the addition of black tile surrounding the storefront. These facades are still in place today. Exposed Neon In the 1940’s (possibly as early as the 1930’s) the storefronts along the 900 block of Congress Ave used neon as the primary signage for their businesses. Many of these mid-century facades (including 920 Congress) are still in place today, although the neon has been removed. The storefronts for Singer and Renfro’s Drug Store which flanked the Liberty Cafe at 920 Congress also had very prominent neon signs. Note: Swift House will also occupy the storefront at 918 Congress where Singer was previously located. Just down the street, the neon signs for Kruger’s Jewelers, the Paramount Theater, and the State Theater are still in place today and highly visible 920 Congress Ave In this photo from the 1960’s the Liberty Cafe storefront at 920 Congress had at least 2 different types of illuminated signs. There were the exposed neon letters above the entrance, and a face lit projecting sign. SUMMARY • Historic photos from the 1940s–1960s show multiple neon signs on this exact block, including 920 Congress and directly adjacent storefronts, demonstrating neon as a longstanding visual feature of the streetscape. • Verified 1949 photograph shows neon signage at 916, 918, and 920 Congress, including the Studer, Singer, and Liberty Café neon signs—providing pre-1950 photographic proof of neon at this address. • Additional 1940s images clearly depict the Liberty Café neon sign at 920 Congress, confirming neon was historically present on the current façade. The existing façade is a mid-century alteration, installed between 1931 and 1949. Since neon is permitted on post-1950 façades, and this façade already reflects mid-century modifications, neon is compatible with the building’s altered historic character. • 1923–1924 Crescent Theater photos show an illuminated projecting sign on the original façade, likely a translucent or spliced-glass box sign; demonstrating historic precedent for illuminated projecting signage at this location. Close up of internally lit projecting sign for the Crescent Theater 920 Congress Ave - cir. 1923 Example of Flexlume Opal Glass in a Spliced-Glass box sign • The proposed neon sign reflects the warm handmade-glass glow of early illuminated signs, creating a more historically accurate aesthetic than modern lighting alternatives. • Neon signage is historically documented both on this building and its immediate neighbors, and the proposed design is modest, historically referential, and aligned with the block’s established visual history; meeting the requirement that neon not detract from the historic character of the district. MAP OF ILLUMINATED SIGNAGE NEAR 920 CONGRESS AVE SIGN PLACEMENT APPROXIMATE DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS - FACE LIT - HALO/INDIRECT LIT - EXPOSED NEON LARGER SYMBOL = NOTICEABLY LARGER OR BRIGHTER SIGN 920 Congress