Seeking the facts.
The best decisions are made with facts. The building has not had sufficient studies performed by licensed professionals to understand what is wrong and to what extent.
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Large repair numbers are not substantiated and are inflated well beyond what was estimated during the 2024 Bond development.
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Having staff leave the building ensures its demise when there is no plan in place for it's preservation or use.
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This is a massive 800,000+ square foot building with a 1,500 car parking garage on fourteen acres - a HUGE investment the city should be proud to own. To cast it aside with a few months discussion without public input is not mindful of citizens in any way, regardless of supposed economic development benefit.
Historic Significance and Relevance
Designed by revered architect I. M. Pei, and born out of Dallas' darkest days after the assassination of President Kennedy, Dallas City Hall represents a community seeking to rebrand itself as the city of the future.
Most of Dallas' greatest leaders of mid-century had a hand in building a cast-in-place structure that was to last for potentially centuries.
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Some of the greatest buildings exist today because someone spoke for them when they were least appreciated - think Swiss Avenue in the 1970's. Brutalism is being re-evaluated, and City Hall should have it's due consideration for preservation.
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The excitement shown in this historic promotional video best expresses why this building was and is important to Dallas' story.
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This site represents fourteen years of planning and construction during a key period in Dallas’ history, and the building has faithfully served our city for 47 years. The following are the major cultural and aesthetic reasons for the preservation of the building.
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Historic Events: The building has significant ties to events of national significance, particularly the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The building reflects a means by which the city desired to overcome an event of national significance through the Goals for Dallas program.
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Significant Persons: A significant number of community members were involved in the development of the site over fourteen years. The greatest proponent was Mayor J. Erik Jonsson. Mayor Jonsson was a co-founder of Texas Instruments, an early proponent of Dallas Fort Worth Airport, and led the city to develop the Goals for Dallas. In recognition of his leadership, the Central Dallas Public Library across the street from City Hall bears his name.
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Architect: The chief architect was internationally renowned I.M. Pei, the winner of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, their highest award, and the fifth recipient of the Pritzker Prize. Mr Pei was chief designer of the Grand Louvre in Paris, East Wing of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, and many major office towers. No major I.M. Pei commission of this scale has been demolished in the United States, except for the “Sundrome” Airport Terminal in New York. Demolition of the building would represent the loss of the first major governmental commission of Mr. Pei’s firm.
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Historic Context: The building is a key part of a set of Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners buildings in the City of Dallas, such as Fountain Place, One Dallas Center, Energy Plaza, and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Also, the ambitious nature of the project, as well as its unique design, reflects the general ideal of Dallas’ forward thinking mentality that has been a part of the city since its earliest days. The overall site should also be considered, particularly the Plaza, which has been a front porch to the citizenry and special events for decades. The loss of city-owned open space is very concerning and not in any way in alignment of the Downtown Dallas Parks Master Plan.
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Unique Features: The most famous aspect of the building is its bold sculptural form, innovative engineering, and dignified civic presence, though the building has been scrutinized and interpreted incessantly since Mr. Pei first unveiled its design nearly 60 years ago. Also, it is important to note the horizontal orientation of the building, intended to have a dialogue with tall skyscrapers, is a rare orientation for Mr. Pei. If it stood up on its edge, it would be as tall as Reunion Tower.
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Architectural Style: Though Brutalism is currently under reevaluation by preservationists and architects alike, it should be noted that very few major examples of cast-in-place Brutalist buildings exist. Furthermore, a peer city, Boston, Massachusetts, has landmarked its Brutalist city hall, recognizing its importance in the context of Boston’s history though set amongst a sea of early American architecture. In 2015, Dallas City Hall received the 25 Year Award from the Texas Society of Architects, joining the ranks of other important modern Dallas buildings that we could not live without - such as Fountain Place, Northpark Center, and Temple Emanu-El.