Homage to the Medical Arts Building

[oldchap]

This was a really cool looking Gothic building that would have looked amazing if it were still around today. Built in 1923, demolished in 1977, it stood on the corner of St. Paul and Pacific. Here is a blurb about it from the Dallas County Medical Society (DCMS).

The $1 million Medical Arts Building on Pacific Avenue opened in March 1923. The 18-story building supplied offices for more than 300 doctors and dentists.

A Dallas Medical Journal article in January 1922 described the building this way: "The basement and first three stories will occupy a square of 125 cubic feet, upon which is imposed the additional 15 stories in the shape of a Maltese cross, thus giving every room equal light and ventilation… It will readily be seen that the situation will offer opportunity for what is understood as "group practice" not necessarily of co-financial concern, in a most ideal way, a way in which scientific atmosphere can be cultivated, individuality preserved, and for the patient the best benefit secured without the necessity for complication by commercial features."

In 1946 DCMS set up an office in the Medical Arts Building. There were approximately 800 members, of whom about 600 had offices in the Medical Arts Building-it was the hub of medical activity in Dallas.

In the early 1970s, the building was owned by Republic Bank. By then Dallas had spread and medical offices cropped up closer to hospitals, such as St Paul on Harry Hines and Presbyterian on Walnut Hill. The building was half empty and not occupied exclusively by physicians. The Republic Bank began to tear it down, but because it was so well-built, the demolition project took a year and half and cost $1.8 million more than it cost to build.

[Speedbump Joey]

What a great looking building indeed.

[hamiltonpl]

Beautiful building. Why on earth did they knock that down for?

[jovangonzales]

^Probably sat too long like a lot of the others ... ....

Actually, it looks like it was demo'ed for the expansion of Republic Center, i.e. II and III.

Sad. They should have kept it.

[Columbus Civil]

I've always loved this building. Makes me sick to think about it.

[lakewoodhobo]

What a complete waste of vertical space. Republic destroys this to build an 8-story annex that only serves to connect its two towers. Very sad.

[dfwcre8tive]

Don't forget the underground retail concourse, which was probably another reason for the new structure. I wonder where those medallions and columns are today...

[Lakewooder]

I was just a teenager when it went down but I was sick about it -- I wish there were some interior photos to show the rest of you because it was just so unique. It would have been absolutely perfect for a residential conversion.

One of the main things I remembered about the building as a kid was that it was one of the few buildings which still had an elevator operator.

[Speedbump Joey]

I was just a teenager when it went down but I was sick about it -- I wish there were some interior photos to show the rest of you because it was just so unique. It would have been absolutely perfect for a residential conversion.

One of the main things I remembered about the building as a kid was that it was one of the few buildings which still had an elevator operator.

What was the interior design/style like?

[Lakewooder]

I can't really remember that well - but the halls were in the shape of a cross and that there was a lot of heaving molding (marble walls?), transom windows and rather small offices with a lot of substantial wood/glass doors. I think the floors were terazzo. Seems that some of it was green.

That's why we need pictures!

[lakewoodhobo]

So would these doctors practice at Old Parkland, or was there another hospital nearby where they actually saw patients? I always thought it was odd that there isn't (wasn't?) a downtown hospital.

[SDORN]

Yep lakewooder That is why I take photos of buildings some many disappear from our landscape so quick everyweek