Get to know Dallas – an architectural tour

Designed to both blend in with the colors of the native landscape in Dallas and rise above it in a modernist form, world-renowned architect I.M. Pei’s vision for Dallas City Hall makes as much use as possible of natural light and space. While above ground the building appears to be an inverted pyramid, below ground the building’s foundation and basement levels extend beyond the much narrower visible footprint. The grounds of the building also incorporate a 6 acre plaza and underground parking structure. Both the plaza and the building incorporate public art; sculpture can be found both outside on the plaza and inside the building. Murals are also featured within City Hall.

Pictured above, The Dallas Piece by Henry Moore. Moore designed the pieced specifically for Dallas City Hall and felt the massive scale and amorphous, curved shape were important to complement the space. Moore wanted visitors to walk among the pieces to experience them and discover unexpected things about the sculptures for themselves.

Below, Floating Sculpture by Marta Pan. The sculpture was first displayed in Central Park in New York then brought to Fair Park before being dedicated in its current location at Dallas City Hall in 1978. The sculpture does float, though it is anchored on the bottom, allowing it some movement on the water’s surface.