D Frontburner recent Arts District posts:
http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/cat...enter-opening/
this is really beginning to feel like Dallas' moment - such much national media attention. I can wait until the spotlight is on the city in 2011 during the superbowl - hopefully there will be a turnaround in the credit market and the Dallas sky will be filled with cranes in every direction!
Well at least the Arts District will now be a helicopter flyover shot for local and national TV broadcasts. During Cowboy games they will come back from commercial with a quick shot of the night time lights of the Winspear, Wyly, Dallas Performance Hall, and Arts One Plaza.
(for the Super Bowl) Maybe the deck park and Margaret Hunt bridge as well?Originally Posted by cowboyeagle05
(BTW)
Wow, beautiful photos. Where are all the people?
no manches! those are awesome.
This is pretty sweet:
http://blog.smu.edu/forum/2009/10/20...e_winners.html
Grammy-winning new music ensemble eighth blackbird and New York-based public arts organization Creative Time have been selected by SMU's Meadows School of the Arts as recipients of the inaugural 2009-2010 Meadows Prize, a new international arts residency.
The announcement was made Oct. 14 at the "Act 3, Scene I" gala at the AT&T Performing Arts Center by José Bowen, dean of the Meadows School.
"The opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center is making a huge impact on the world's perception of Dallas as a great city for the arts," said Bowen. "To help make Dallas a great cultural capital, we must also become known as a center for the creation of new works, building a community that nurtures its own and tolerates artistic risk the same way we embrace entrepreneurial risk. To further that goal, in partnership with the Dallas arts community, the new Meadows Prize will bring artists with an international reputation to Dallas each year to produce an artistic legacy for the city."
The prize includes housing for a one-to-three-month residency in Dallas, transportation expenses, studio/office space and project costs, in addition to a $25,000 stipend. In return, recipients are expected to interact in a substantive way with Meadows students and collaborating arts organizations, and to leave a lasting legacy in Dallas, such as a work of art that remains in the community, a composition or piece of dramatic writing that would be performed locally, or a new way of teaching in a particular discipline.
...
I wonder if this forum can keep track of the ripple effect from the new performing arts venues. I also wonder how many condos at the proposed Museum Tower (or whichever Arts District property gets the first top shelf residential tower) will end up as temporary housing for star performers of hold over shows at the opera house.
An Arts District "top shelf" residential tower, One Arts (condos), has already been built and still has some vacancy available for temp housing should one of the arts institutions choose to purchase a unit.
http://www.oneartsplazatx.com/
Last edited by jsoto3; 22 October 2009 at 09:54 PM.
doh! nevermind
New Kids on the Block
By WILLARD SPIEGELMAN
Dallas
The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...948773750.html
On May 14, 1959, at the groundbreaking for what would become Lincoln Center, President Dwight D. Eisenhower hailed the event as "a great cultural adventure." A half-century later, it's easy to forget that Lincoln Center was considered a radical idea. The marble grandeur, the imposing edifices, the central plaza that has become a great populist agora are now so deeply embedded in the consciousness of New Yorkers and tourists alike that the buildings seem to have been there forever.
Times have changed. A massive arts complex would strike us as unthinkable as well as authoritarian. Variety, not uniformity, speaks to our national commitment to diversity and spice of all sorts. And everything takes longer and costs more to construct. In the face of a national recession it is amazing that any building can go up.
...
A Warm New Sound—and Green-Eyed Envy
By HEIDI WALESON
OCTOBER 28, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...598123174.html
On Oct. 23, the Dallas Opera inaugurated its splendid new home, the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, with Verdi's "Otello." Happily, the architect (Foster + Partners) and the acousticians (Sound Space Design) worked well together on this project. The handsome horseshoe-shaped auditorium feels intimate and, from my seat in the center of the orchestra level, boasts superlative sound—warmly resonant, yet offering clarity and projection for consonants and solo instruments, and excellent balance between the orchestra and the singers. Colleagues placed elsewhere in the theater had similar reports. Graeme Jenkins, the company's music director and conductor of "Otello," commented that the new opera house will "transform the future of the company" to rival the San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Dallas Opera currently presents five productions a year, fewer than either of those two companies, but with this fine new instrument, Dallas now has a foundation for such Texas-sized ambition.
...
The Dallas Arts District sure is getting a lot of good press. Now only time will if tell the level of performance sophistication and mastery demanded by North Texas audiences will meet or exceed the acclaim of the buildings.
Maybe not so surprising to forum regulars is how persistently reviews of the new Arts District performance halls mention dissonance in the neighborhood's appeal.
^too bad the local media rarely uses grown-up words and phrases....
I spent some time strolling through the Arts District yesterday after checking out the architecture exhibit at the Nasher, and I’m sorry to report that it was quite a let-down. My first criticisms is similar to what has already been written by others about how there is very little cohesiveness to the district (each building sort of stands in isolation), but my bigger complaint is about the sorry and uninviting state of most of the pedestrian infrastructure: uneven sidewalks, missing paving stones, untrimmed trees that force pedestrians to duck or get a branch across the face, depressing dead tree stumps, etc… In typical Dallas fashion, all attention seems to have been spent on the individual buildings with their massive parking garages, with pedestrian accommodations being relegated to an afterthought (at best). I’d like to like the Arts District, but so far, all I can say is the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Nice job. Please don't pay any attention to the Artist and preformances being put on in the venues. Leave those out.
There is another thread on this forum for those discussions of the shows and or performances inside the venues if your interested. This thread is more tailored to the architecture and other discussion just as he posted his thoughts above.
I for one love the shows inside but where will I sit down outside if there are no benches to enjoy the AT&T Wifi and or exterior beauty of the structures? To tell you the truth the Wifi seemed a little odd when I first heard it unless you count that when they have outdoor festivals it will be used then.
One of its true tests will be when they have the next Arts District Festival and how it all works for those types of events.
Are you talking about the trees by Catholic Church on Flora? I can't remember a time when those trees were ever trimmed.
There was a post on Frontburner I believe, about the poor shape of the sidewalks in the Arts District outside the Meyerson. Its those granite squares - they need to be fixed.
Yes, the ones in front of the Church as well as in front of the Meyrson.
We got some press from my fav magazine
http://www.economist.com/world/unite...ry_id=14753866Dallas Does Culture
Lights down, curtain up
From The Economist print edition
While other cities are tightening their belts, Dallas is polishing its buckle
The comments are a bit harsh on that page! However, the article was a nice piece of PR for the city. I especially like how they referenced that only $18MM came from the city. I don't think that a lot of folks know that who are not from around here.
Yea, but I take the comments as a sign of our progress. Before our recent growth and development, the cities bashing us were of a much lower global standing. The fact that so many people are comparing us to Chicago instead of PHX/Atlanta/Houston/etc is a sign we are moving in the right direction.
Anyone with any understanding of economics understands why there has been so much Texas coverage in the press lately. The way Texans do business works. If you make it easy to do business, you will prosper. If you make it difficult to do business, you will suffer. We were prudent in managing our economy, so now we get to enjoy things like new performing arts centers, deck parks, and transit expansion while Californians get IOUs.
Of course, now all the people who ran their states into the ground are coming to Texas to find work. They're bringing their politics with them. Big government liberals are locusts. They hop from place to place, destroying economies as they go. From New England, to the Rust Belt, to California... now to Texas. Enjoy your job while you have it.
/\ I think that is a huge leap. Texas has had a balanced budget amendment in place for many years under both liberal and conservative administrations. We had a huge economic spur from the high oil prices in 2008. And we have potentially sacrificed future growth, if energy gets expensive, by having policies that encourage urban sprawl.
Finally, don't forget the bank and trust bubble that we were in the center of back in the 80s --- I believe the lessons learned from that played a part in our banks being stronger today.
I don't think we can boil this down to a conservatives vs. liberals argument.
I forgot to mention the back of the Belo Mansion across from the Museum Tower site. IMO, that's far worse then the other blocks.
HAHAHAHA.
Now that the Arts District is really taking shape, they have moved the City Arts festival ("The Art and Soul of Dallas) to Fair Park: see www.dallascityarts.com for details. It appears that the powers that be don't want the masses enjoying the shiny new buildings in the Arts District...
Probably news rules and or costs related to holding a festival in the Arts District now that AT&T PAC is running half of the show. I'm sure the AT&T PAC has numerous rules now that they are open for business just like Fair Park has rules too. They might require certain things the group was not able to secure for their event. Or it could be as simple as they wanted to spread a little of the love to the original Dallas Arts District Fair Park. Dallas is plenty big enough to spread arts related events between both areas especially since Fair Park has direct DART access and the Dallas Arts District does not.
This really is more of a trade between the Arts District and Fair Park. Arts District got the Dallas Opera, Fair Park gets the City Arts Festival.
I wonder if they'll rename it the City Fair Festival...
I bet ATTPAC wants to do their own festival --- other wise it would be a shame to have that great new covered space and not use it for anything.
Ninja, those panos are spectacular works of art in their own right. The reflection of the opera house in the pond is every landscaper's dream. And the Wyly's cool aloof silhouette is somehow secretly compelling, a machine in a machine. For Chrissakes, even the "high school auditorium" looks on par with Juilliard or some other serious institution in a big city. The architects themselves couldn't have taken better shots. If you are not on the payola of the Arts District and City of Dallas at this point, there's something wrong with the system. You should also make these available to the architects for an exhorbitant fee. Their archivists only wish they had these to publish.
Thanks sterling! There have been a few purchased so far... Here's to a few more.
Evidently, two pedestrians were hit by a car this evening somewhere in the Arts District.. Looking for story (WFAA).
Last edited by Justin Terveen; 20 November 2009 at 01:50 PM.
Were these homeless people?? If so, I'm not surprised. They're constantly crossing at non crosswalks, very slowly, wearing dark clothes. I go to the 24-hour fitness on Harwood (very close to the Art District) before work around 5AM most mornings and I've had several close calls here..and several other places downtown. For some reason Pearl and Elm is another spot where homeless people like to jump in front of cars and "mean mug" you when you almost hit them.
Are you sure those weren't just some of the various downtown business men they do the same thing cross where ever they feel like it in dark clothes at a painfully slow pace.
Okie dokie. back to the conversation ...
From Unfair Park: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfa...gns_of_lif.php
Which has a link to a story from the Texas Observer: http://www.texasobserver.org/feature...s-culture-game
Tighten the female dog!
Donations for Dallas' AT&T Performing Arts Center fall short of project's final cost
The Dallas Morning News
January 18, 2010
By Gary Jacobson
Full Article
Donations to the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas have "virtually stopped" in recent months, the organization's chief financial officer says. Yet, as the region continues to cope with the weak economy, Randy Kurtz remains confident about raising the additional $25 million to $30 million needed to completely pay for the project...
...Through the beginning of this year, Kurtz said, more than $330 million had been collected or pledged toward the $354 million center. The organization's foundation, which was established to design, build and operate the center, has received about 130 gifts of $1 million or more...
The proposed U.S. Embassy in London looks very similar to the Wyly Theater:
The proposed U.S. Embassy in London looks very similar to the Wyly Theater:
Wow, yeah it does...I bet that someone involved in the Wyly also has something to do with the embassy
It must be an emerging architectural trend: the stocky, silver box. The proposed federal courthouse in Salt Lake City could also be a cousin to the Wyly, although I'm quite certain they have different architects.
Here's the story: Utah getting $211 million federal courthouse
Or like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba
Tighten the female dog!
I'm sure the wall around the bldg is because this is a federal courthouse. But I really do love all the trees at the base. Federal courthouses never seem to like landscaping much.It must be an emerging architectural trend: the stocky, silver box. The proposed federal courthouse in Salt Lake City could also be a cousin to the Wyly, although I'm quite certain they have different architects.
Here's the story: Utah getting $211 million federal courthouse
I know this is somewhat unrelated but does anyone else think $573 psf for the federal courthouse is a little over the top?
A new Federal Courthouse is an incredibly sophisticated building. Not sure whether that price is reasonable or not but I would expect a building of that type to be very, very expensive.
next time you guys are in the bookstore- check out the current (March) issue of Architectural Record. There is a nice 8 page or so spread of the Wyly Theater and Arts District. It has floor-plans, wall sections and schematics. The text is by local architecture critic David Dillon. Couldn't find the article online, but anyone is welcome to add it if they do.
I love it. Much of the NE Press like NYtimes and some others love to rake Dallas over the coals anytime we do something good, and stick their noses up at anything that goes on in Texas. The Architectural Record has a critique that has some positive points about the center, but in the end it is overly critical of the Performing Arts Center and especially Wyly in its most recent issue. Calling the Wyly stark, overbearing, and awkward, while the arts center as a whole will do very little for our opressive downtown and freeway system that cuts the Arts Center off from any residents.
The latter... what can you say, just different view points. As for the architecture... you know what they say "copy is the best form of flattery"
Different Architect than the Wyly's:
Kieran Timberlake
More images and commentary on the firm's blog:
http://blog.kierantimberlake.com/new...-in-london-488
Steve Brown apparently picked up on our discussion: Cubism: It's not just bor art anymore
I found it odd that the author didn't mention there is a second cube structure coming to Dallas:
Cube is the new black
I noticed that the Annette Strauss Artist Square is coming along, but I really don't get it. They have erected a concrete wall that blocks the view and access to the Woodall Rodgers Park.
Does anyone know, does that wall have anything to do with the dust-up between DCPA and the DSO (concerns of sound bleeding in to the Meyerson)? If so, it's hard for me to see how the wall that I saw would mitigate sound bleeding in to the Meyerson.
It makes the area look walled off and cramped to me. It's disappointing that the Arts District has no connective energy. They build artist sqaure and tuck it in back corner behind the Winspear. It seems like it would overlook the new park, but then they build park a solid concrete wall to separate it, thereby making sure the connections don't exist.
I realize the park has its own performance plaza... I just don't get why we have Artist Square tucked in to a back alley of the district. Why not spend that money on other connective amenities that would have injected something along Flora street?
Do any of the architects who read the board have a perspective on this? I've been hearing that a large number of the DCPA donors have also been frustrated by the tepid outdoor environment as well. I remember David Dillon sounding the alarm signals on this issue 4-5 years ago, but I don't know what actions were taken.
Last edited by BigD5349; 04 April 2010 at 03:50 PM.
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