Dallas Center for Architecture

[Lionel Hutz]

Hadn't seen anything about this:


The Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects has announced the name of the architect chosen to design the interior of the Dallas Center for Architecture, scheduled to bow in September at 1909 Woodall Rodgers Freeway -- overlooking the thus-far hypothetical Woodall Rodgers Park. And the winner's a local: Peter Doncaster of Booziotis & Company Architects, though he did have outside collaborators from New Orleans and Brooklyn, New York.
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/

Here is the winning design:

http://www.dallascfa.org/winners.html

[corbman]

The winning scheme's concept was probaby the best approach given the program and siting. Considering that the existing office building in which the new Center will be located is quite unremarkable, providing a visual spectacle to the outside will draw interest and visitors. The glowing wall will interact with the surroundings and will help animate the public areas that will be part of the new Deck Park adjacent to it. The other runner-up entries seemed to be more concerned about the functionality of the space within, but what use is it when people passing by don't notice what's inside that dull existing corporate box? The colorful light within is actually an appropriate expression of the spirit of the architectural landscape of Dallas, with its illuminated skyline and a monumental architectural landscape that is often best experienced from the highway. The presentation images are a bit too schematic to know whether the space will function well, but overall the design makes an engaging urban statement.

[dfwcre8tive]

Design chosen for Dallas Center for Architecture
02:58 PM CDT on Monday, March 24, 2008
By SHERYL JEAN / The Dallas Morning News
sjean@dallasnews.com
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/032408dnbusdesignaward.2102f737.html

A team of architects led by Peter Doncaster of Booziotis & Co. Architects in Dallas recently won an interior design competition for the Dallas Center for Architecture, which is slated to open this fall.

The team is fine-tuning its design for the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which is creating the Center and sponsored the competition.

Doncaster’s partners are Nicholas Marshall of nodesign in New Orleans and Gabriel Smith of Thomas Phifer and Partners in New York. The prize was $5,000.

The three men were classmates at Tulane University in New Orleans and had sought a project they could work on together, Mr. Doncaster said. AIA Dallas gave the competitors a $250,000 budget and one month to redesign the ground floor of an existing 1980s building that will house the Dallas Center for Architecture.

The Dallas Center for Architecture, at 1909 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, will overlook the proposed Woodall Rodgers Park. It will serve as an education and resource center and exhibit space.

“The first thing we looked at was the park,” Mr. Doncaster, 41, said. “Once the park is built, it’s going to really knit together the Arts District and Uptown.”

A key design feature is to cast a colored glow through the building’s windows at dusk to catch the attention of drivers. Mr. Doncaster’s team is testing different colors, their brightness and how often they’ll change.

“We wanted to create something that was more of an experience,” Mr. Doncaster said. “It’s not going to be subtle. It needs to be a little bit loud to get attention … but at the same time we don’t want it to be tacky.”

Because AIA Dallas plans to seek certification of the interior as environmentally sustainable, the winning design included donated, salvaged and recycled materials; low-energy fixtures; on-site bicycle racks; and showers.

...

To view the winning designs, go to www.dallascfa.org.

[xen0blue]

Ugh, for a building for the AIA, it sure is an ugly and unimpressive building. I guess that's what happens with all this post-modern BS, they try to make something as ugly and nonfunctional as possible and then try to pass it off as "art".

[Halz3000]

I like the conceptual description for this space but, the drawings don't carry a similar enthusiasm.
Maybe there are better illustrations?
Maybe the design isn't as intriguing as the concept?

[mdg109]

It looks like they had to work with some rigid parameters.

[cowboyeagle05]

It looks like they had to work with some rigid parameters.
Thats what I guessed as well, considering the fact that there plenty of Historical buildings that this project would do well inside. Why would they choose to pick such a blank location does that office building already house AIA officials cause I would be embarrassed to tell someone about "The Dallas Center for Architecture" and bring them there to that. I am also guessing the brochures will not include large pictures of its exterior but a small photo from a carefully selected angle from the street to make it look architecturally modern and interesting. It would be such a let down when you know how much wonderful architecture there is in Dallas whether its historical and new construction. I guess this is only a first step, when the park is built and finished the building will have to deal with pressure of being so small and lacking next to such a large amenity that might cause that building to be removed or totally reworked for a better project whether thats residential or another office building.

They could very easily make the building one of those super abstract green buildings that you see built in Europe. Remove all the current exterior and construct some glass and metal, green rated abstract shape around the current frame and it will ensure its place in that location at least during this architectural trend period.

[Sky Time]

They could very easily make the building one of those super abstract green buildings that you see built in Europe. Remove all the current exterior and construct some glass and metal, green rated abstract shape around the current frame and it will ensure its place in that location at least during this architectural trend period.

An exterior re-do would be a great thing

[corbman]

Some of the recent posts have been quite critical of the selection of the site, but I don't think the local chapter of the AIA Dallas is really in the position of fulfilling grand ambitions of choosing a pretty historic building or renovating an entire office building from the inside out. You have to bear in mind that the current location of the local AIA office is in a nondescript storefront at the corner of a showroom strip mall in the design district. The mere relocation to a site closer to downtown and uptown is in itself a good move, since it ensures more traffic from local architects, many of whom work precisely around the new site (McKinney/CBD/West End).

Also, one should also take into account that the Dallas Architecture Center will mostly be used as a resource for design professionals than for out-of-town tourists, as it aims to host special programs, lectures and classes all in one place. Unlike more hefty professional organizations like the American Medical Association or the Texas Bar, the AIA can only do so much with its members dues and it's quite a lot for them to be able to lease pricey office space in a prime location. The winning scheme tries to make the best of a limited architectural situation.