Dallas City skyline at sunset, Texas, USA
photo from istock
One of the greatest joys while traveling is experiencing the unique culture and architecture in a city. My recent trip to Dallas, Texas for the Design Futures Council’s Leadership Summit on Sustainable Design filled me with admiration for the mostly modernist and postmodernist skyline. Although the city has long been associated with cotton, cattle and oil, that was in its heyday of long ago. Today, you’ll find stylish professionals from all over the world, and the requisite shopping, hotels and restaurants a first class city is known for.
photo from istock
Dallas has had a reputation for being made up of shiny glass boxes, as it succumbed to the craze for reflective glass in the 1970s. Drivers sometimes complain about the glittering reflection of the sun in their eyes during late day commutes, but the sparkling skyline has long been a source of pride for residents. I loved the views from my hotel windows, and the nighttime glow when the sun went down and the city lit up.
Today, some of the best examples of architecture are the Reunion Tower with its landmark observation deck and light shows–
photo from istock
the JFK Memorial in the West End Historic District, by the noted architect Phillip Johnson–
photo from istock
and I.M. Pei’s Dallas City Hall.
photo from istock
The biggest new structure in Dallas is the bridge over the Trinity River, part of the Trinity River Project.
photo credit: Aaron Morrow
A striking display in the Great Hall in The State Hall is a gold medallion, twelve feet in diameter. The star in the middle is the symbol of Texas.
photo credit: Aaron Morrow
One of my favorite spots on this trip was the Nasher Sculpture Center, where a roofless building is home to one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculpture in the world.
Dallas is still home to beautiful countryside, too, if you drive outside the city. I can’t wait to go back.
Marshall, Texas. Photo credit: Aaron Morrow