That’s the takeaway from this Economist blog post which picks up on Blair Kamin’s takedown of the Arts District in the Chicago Tribune. The Economist goes over the problems with the Arts District that Kamin points out and then posses this zinger: “But surely it is possible to spend even more money to create an even duller arts district.” 

It turns out it is: Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, which will cull together a team of starchitects to create branches of the Guggenheim, the Louvre, and a natural history museum. The Abu Dhabi project is also running into some PR problems: an artist boycott of the Guggenheim over the working conditions of those building the new museums. But like Dallas, the question remains: does a “if you build it, they will come,” philosophy hold water.

But setting aside this public-relations disaster, which could significantly hamper the Guggenheim’s work in filling this museum, the Saadiyat complex poses a larger question: will people come? Is it enough to build these gigantic monuments to modernity (in an otherwise not-so-modern and remote place) and assume that the razzle-dazzle will lure the tourists? Dallas’s experiment illustrates the flaws in developments that consider the needs of architecture at the expense of people. A culture district without the glue of wandering pedestrians (or an atmosphere of working artists; or let’s face it, streets) may struggle to earn its keep.

We’ve been beating around the Arts District for some time now, but here is a new take on the district from the Chicago Tribune’s Blair Kamin. This is wonderful summation of the situation:

Is it a good idea to organize arts buildings in such a clear and concentrated fashion? Or does the more mixed-up Chicago way make better sense? I ask because, despite its impressive architectural firepower, the Dallas Arts District can be an exceedingly dull place. There are no bookstores, few restaurants outside those in the museums and not a lot of street life, at least when there are no performances going on. Even some of the architects who’ve designed buildings here privately refer to the district as an architectural petting zoo — long on imported brand-name bling and short on homegrown-urban vitality.

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Over on one of my favorite new blogs, the muted, beautiful art/design-log “Paper Weight” (run by someone in Dallas named Lucia), a quote from Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha that is worth chewing on for a few days:

Art is the immense fortune of mankind. But the worst scenario is when it degenerates, which is an increasing condition. The new generations are not adequately educated; there is a need to consume without perceiving where or when this or that knowledge has come from, as if every created thing just exists. This is a compromised experience of the world. If you can trace a creation to its roots you can imagine. You can predict or prevent; but when you just don’t know the past or how to perceive the present, it’s hopeless. It’s the absence of connections: a person in a plane in the beginning of the twentieth century was aware of being flown, and of the mechanical effort necessary to put the thing up in the air. In a way, people are losing the ability to be in awe, and thus the ability to wonder how things might be improved. This is an artistic loss, when you fail to understand that the ability to be creative is a human necessity.

Yesterday, the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation announced a handful of new donations to their capital campaign totalling, oh, $9 million, which brings the fundraising effort within $17 million of completing its goal. So my question: does that remaining $17 million include funds required to install the art planned for the park — you know, the bit that will make it attractive like Chicago’s Millenium Park (Woodall’s oft-cited model)? Or does the money needed for the art have to be raised in addition to that remaining $17 million? Here’s what a park spokesperson I asked said:

The art piece is separate from the $17 million goal. It will happen, and they are putting a process together to review how to select the art. It could happen between now and 2012, it might happen after the park is open. It’s sort of dependent on a donor being passionate about naming the iconic art feature.

Fair enough (though I hope the artist, not the donor gets to name the piece). So after the $17 million is raised, there will need to be additional funds raised to fund the art, which is unfortunate, and not because we all love us some art in parks. Rather, it is because it means the Woodall Rodgers Park’s overall design philosophy is quite different than Millenium Park’s. As someone who was close to the Millenium Park planning and development once told me, Chicago’s park was initially designed with the art installations in mind, and it was the art — the now legendary Plensa and Kapoor installations (the fountain and the bean) — that drove the formation of the rest of the park. The park was imagined “art-first” because the art created a context for the park’s funtionality, it was the spatial engine. Woodall is taking a much more conventional approach — the art is an “add-on,” a “feature.” It is something you “do” in the park not the thing that “is” the park. The Woodall Rodgers Park is still a very promising project, and the comparison with Millenium is not entierly fair. Millenium is a completely exceptional park. It is, in many ways, the park of the 21st century city. Woodall may still be a very good park, but we should start to hold our city boosters to a standard of exceptionality. And in that sense, this is a lost opportunity.

Park designed by the Office of James Burnett, rendering by Michael McCann.

The Arkansas Times notes that the Trinity Trust’s Gail Thomas will be speaking at Little Rock’s Clinton school about the Santiago Calatrava bridge-sculpture project. It seems our neighbors to the east are considering replacing one of their existing bridges, and may take a similar approach to sprucing up the skyline while fostering community development in the process.

For more than a decade, the Dallas Architecture Forum has been one of the best running lecture circuits in the region. Just glance at the luminaries who have spoken at DAF events:

Among the over 130 speakers who have addressed the Forum are Shigeru Ban; AIA Gold Medal Winner Peter Bohlin;  Jamie Carpenter; Brad Cloepfil; Winspear designer Spencer de Grey;  Elizabeth Diller+ Richard Scofidio; Peter Eisenman;  Chicago’s Aqua Tower designer Jeanne Gang;  Gordon Gill, whose firm designed the world’s tallest building, the Burj Kalifa;  Michael Graves;  Pritzker Prize winners Kazuyo Sejima, Rafael Moneo, Thom Mayne (designer of Dallas’  Museum of Nature and Science), Rem Koolhaas and Norman Foster (the later two in collaboration with the ATT Performing Arts Center);   Daniel Libeskind;  Thomas Phifer;  Rafael Vinoly;  and  Texas architects David Lake and Ted Flato.  

The Dallas Architecture Forum was recognized by the Amierican Institute of Architects as a recipient of its 2011 Institute Honors for Collaborative Achievement Award. Other honorees included : landscape architect and Rome-Prize recipient Peter Schaudt; UC Berkeley Professor Walter Hood; Copenhagen’s Louis Poulsen Lighting, Inc.; and New York City’s Active Design Guidelines.

Here’s a full release:

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The Dallas Planning Commission voted resoundly in favor of a redevelopment plan for the West Dallas neighborhood, the product of a year of work by the Dallas CityDesign Studio that focuses on trying to balance new development and existing neighborhoods in an area that is about to welcome the landing of the Calatrava Sculpture-Bridge. Via Jerome Weeks’ report on Art & Seek: 

The plan hopes to make “incremental” and “organic” the massive changes that may well hit the low-income neighborhoods north of I-30 and west of the Trinity River — now that the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge will be coming for a long visit. One of the prime goals of the plan is to “preserve, conserve, enhance” La Bajada, the mostly Hispanic community of older, single-family homes that exists north of Singleton and east of Sylvan. . . .

Instead of completely changing the nature of La Bajada and Los Altos, the CityDesign Studio’s plan hopes to re-direct the construction of high-density, residential and retail towers to the south, along the Trinity. It also seeks to develop new north-south corridors — turning Herbert Street, in particular, into a ‘High Street’ from Singleton to West Commerce that will help focus traffic, mass transit and commercial interests. It also includes specifications for street design, facade details, public parks and mixed-use areas that could feature artists’ work spaces.

 You can view the CityDesign Studio’s plan here.

Here’s some encouraging news on the education front: the University of North Texas has opened a Design Research Center in downtown Dallas, which will “serve as an ‘urban laboratory’ where graduate students and faculty members can spark and sustain design-driven solutions to pressing contemporary problems.” Downtown Dallas needs students and urban sollutions, and Dallas’ art scene needs more engaged artists. This is a welcomed nudge. From director Keith Owens:

 ”This urban laboratory is helping the College of Visual Arts and Design answer the challenge for UNT to become a Tier One research university,” said Keith Owens, director of the Design Research Center. “The DRC is just a few blocks from the Dallas Arts District and near several major museums and galleries, the World Trade Center and businesses, so our students will gain rich experience in the hub of Dallas. Likewise, Dallas-based businesses and cultural institutions will have access to a wealth of academic resources offered by the center, which is the first of its kind in the region.”

Photo Downtown Dallas in 1942, by Arthur Rothstein on assignment for the Farm Security Administration

The Wyly Theater has been awarded a 2011 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture. Here are some comments from the jury that chose the ten winners of the annual accolade:

This building is an expression of a totally new way to investigate the potential of performative experimentation – completely re-choreographed the way in which one experiences a theater.

The flexibility of this building redefines theater in a way that is unique – curtains open, light comes in.

It contributes to the skyline without being so tall – the façade and treatment of the exterior are quite interesting looking as an object in the city.

Photo: Elizabeth Lavin

Although we didn’t have a Burj Khalifa built here in Dallas this year, we had our own 2010 architectural happenings.  Here’s a look back:

The beginnings of an economic recovery—or at least the perceptions of such—were a boon to a hurting architecture and building sector.  Dormant projects were given new life, such as the Fain Johnson-designed Museum Tower, which began construction in the parking lot between the Nasher Sculpture Center and Meyerson Symphony Center.  On the other hand, economic weakness didn’t ..read more

They sure don’t make documentaries like they used to (h/t: Ready for the House via L.S.)

We have two pairs of tickets to give away for this Thursday’s ROCKITECTURE 2010, fundraising gala benefiting the Dallas Center for Architecture. With the tickets you’ll have the opportunity to hang with design and architecture lovers; enjoy food and drink by Cassandra Fine Catering, Barbec’s, Pappas, Mozzarella Company/Empire Bakery, Times Ten Cellars and Tito’s; and listen to tunes spun by DJ Lucy Wrubel. But the real highlight is the silent auction, which includes:

drawings and artworks by George Dahl, Max Levy, ..read more

Tonight we’re hosting a conversation about the Arts District to continue the discussion that started with this post. The event, which will take place at D Magazine’s offices at 5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public, some stop on by (if it helps, there will be snacks and adult beverages). To RSVP, fill out the form in this post. See you there.

This weekend the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects is hosting its fourth annual home tour, featuring eight Dallas homes chosen by architects that were designed by Texas architects. For a map showing which homes are on the tour, click here. Also, one neat addition, this year’s tour is going to be on Foursquare, so home visitors can share feedback and tips with other tour attendies.

We have four pairs of tickets to giveaway for this weekend’s tour. A pair ..read more

1. To give Arts In October the send off it deserved Sunday, the Art District brought in Jason Roberts and Amy Cowan of Better Block, who helped transform the street into a busy pedestrian zone, complete with food trucks, games, and art projects. The Arts District’s Veletta Lill spoke to the effort to change zoning to allow for food trucks in the Central Business District:

“We discovered that the city development code doesn’t allow food trucks to set up permanently in the central business district,” she said. “Our ordinances are not contemporary. They do not reflect changing times.”

2. On Unfair Park, Robert Wilonsky reports on his experience of day, during which he heard Veletta Lill delight over the event’s pushing the boundaries of current Dallas code, which has inhibited food trucks and other unsanitary unpleasantries for years. Jason Roberts chimes in:

This simple solution could naturally spell the end of the tunnels that city planners have tried to close for years now. These, tied to smartly planned public squares could redefine Downtown Dallas into something that would truly be “World Class.”

3. As for the food, Sarah Reiss has you covered over on SideDish with muchos photos.

As a reminder, this Thursday, November 4 at 5:30 p.m. we will be talking about the Dallas Arts District with Veletta Lill, Deedie Rose, Charles Santos, and Patrick Kennedy at the D Magazine offices. To attend, you just need to fill out this tiny form here. Did we mention there will be beverages? Until then, let’s start the conversation: what topics do you think we should cover at this Thursday’s forum? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Two weeks ago I offered some ideas for improving the public environs of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. That post, and the conversation it inspired, indicated that there is still much concern for and confusion about the year-old center, its role, and its future.

On November 4 at 5:30 p.m. we will host a public forum on the Arts District at the D Magazine offices, 750 N. St. Paul St., Suite 2100. Joining us will be Dallas Arts District executive director ..read more

The area just north of Ross Ave. that is now the Dallas Arts District has taken on many forms over the years: from mansion row to office buildings, vacant lots to arts center. Tonight, the Dallas Arts District hosts a tour that shines a light on three buildings that have lasted many of these cycles: the area’s churches. For more information on the tour, which will highlight the history and architecture of the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, St. Paul United Methodist Church, and First United Methodist Church, visit here.

One of the difficulties in the “people’s venue” called Artist Square is that food and beverages are not allowed into the outdoor performance space. A friend of mine who didn’t heed our warnings about this policy before the free Casablanca screening had her water confiscated at the entrance. (Those ATTPAC worker bees don’t mess around.) So, as Scott Cantrell has already noted, one of the disappointments related to the Dallas Opera’s fantastic idea to simulcast opening night’s performance out onto the square is that you can’t bring a picnic to enjoy with the show, which is what I was planning to do. (Feeding three kids ain’t easy at ATTPAC prices.)
 
But here’s some good news to fellow picnickers: I was just chatting with someone with the opera before meeting with tenor Stephen Costello and his wife, soprano Ailyn Pérez, (more from that lovely couple tomorrow), and the opera is now going to have a second screen simulcasting the performance right out on Sammons Plaza in case there is overflow from the people’s venue. So, folks, you know what that means: the picnic is on! I’ll bring the melon if you bring the prosciutto. Except, of course, if they cordon off Sammons Park and extend the check points Charlie to Flora St., but I can’t imagine that happening. . .

Last night at the Wyly Theater, I experienced my first Pecha Kucha, the event imported around the world from Tokyo whose name comes from the Japanese for “chit-chat.” The idea is simple: presenters speak with the support of twenty slides, each slide remaining on screen for twenty seconds. This means a night of rapid-paced presentations, each lasting a little over six minutes, offering a smorgasbord of ideas, concepts, biographies, stories, and, for the first time since the Dallas edition launched, ..read more

It has been nearly a year since the grand festivities that opened the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Since then, the center has experienced a number of highlights, and the year has also raised a number of questions. Many of these involve the PAC’s administration and finances, including CEO Mark Nerenhausen’s abrupt departure and financial shortfalls, some anticipated and others not. Later this month, the board of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, led by its new chairman, Roger Nanney, will go into ..read more

The Dallas Architecture Forum and the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects announced today that they have established the “David Dillon Memorial Scholarship” in honor of the long time architecture critic for the Dallas Morning News who passed away in June. The scholarship, which will be administrated by the Dallas Center for Architecture Foundation, will awarded each year to a graduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington. A full release, including a biography of Dillon, is ..read more

This morning, DFW DART Dude left a comment on yesterday’s post about the AT&T PAC’s shortcomings. I first became aware of DFW DART Dude when he submitted to our Texture of Dallas project a host of his videos which document his travels and travails on Dallas’ public transit system. Like Patrick Kennedy, the DART Dude gets around this car loving town without a car, and his adventures are both inspiring and curiously humorous. So, after the jump, enjoy a selection ..read more

Via archinect.com, the Jargon ETC blog lists five frustrating things about the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts (or the AT&T Performing Arts Center, as it has been called for a few (many) months now). If you follow FrontRow or read much of D’s coverage of the PAC, you will be familiar with some of the complaints, which mainly revolve around the PAC’s lack of pedestrian friendliness, both in terms of the connectivity with the surrounding neighborhoods and the ..read more

We do a lot of best lists around here. I’ve suggested we start up a “worst of” list, but that idea hasn’t really caught on. The idea isn’t get down and gripe about our city, it’s to be honest about pointing out what doesn’t work, or what habits and attitudes cripple Dallas’ ability to pull off being, well, even better. Case in point: over on the Dallas Observer blog, Robert Wilonsky reports about how the fountains at Fair Park turned into an impromptu wading pool during the Fourth Fifth of July celebrations yesterday. And how did that impromptu revolt against the city with no public swimming options end? Police and park officials broke it up. Probably because there are insurance issues, or programming issues, or fear issues, or challenged authority issues, or “we didn’t plan for this so we can’t have it” issues. But whatever the issues, the people should have been allowed to swim because that would have been the interesting, big city thing to do. And if we could count on the fountains being full at Fair Park, and if traipsing through them was as accepted as splashing around in Millennium Park, well, I could see “swimming in Fair Park’s fountains” as a shoe-in for a D Best.