Dallas's Best Buildings

Since I'm going to be going to Dallas, Texas in the USA in about a month for the ASME leadership training conference, I thought I'd do a little bit of research on what this city has to offer!

I love buildings. I LOVE buildings and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE skyscrapers. The first real skyscraper I ever saw was in Chicago (where I fell in love with architecture on a river-cruise run by the Chicago Architecture Foundation (with Prince Charming!). Chicago has so many fabulously beautiful buildings, it really was the perfect place to fall in love...with architecture I mean, of course! And lets not even start with Melbourne...

One word: wow!

So Dallas is a city in the south, in the wonderful state of Texas. It has a population of about 1.2 million people and a very recognisable skyline that is often shown in TV shows and movies.

Dallas Skyline

So here are a few pictures of amazing buildings I hope to catch a glimpse of:

1. Tallest building in Dallas

At 281 m, the Bank of America Plaza. Built in 1985, this is the 21st tallest in America and 58th tallest in the world.

This skyscraper features stepped corners, allowing for numerous corner offices on each floor. Each of these steps ends at a a different height at the top, giving this postmodernist building a distinctly art-decor feel.

As much as I love this aluminium and glass building,it still doesn't hold a torch to Chicago's Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower). Standing at 442m (with a pinnacle reaching 527m), at the time of completion in 1974, it was the tallest building in the world!

2. Kirby Building

Built in a Gothic Revival style in1913, this was a skyscraper of its time. It became vacant in the economic downturn of the 1980's which saw Dallas's downtown district crash. After the 1980's, it became a symbol of resurrection, being one of the city's first office buildings to be converted into residential apartments.

3. Reunion Tower

This landmark is a 55story high tower topped by a geodesic glass dome. You can travel to the top in just 68 seconds to the viewing deck and restaurant. This is something I definitely want to do. Perhaps have a cocktail at the top of the disco ball?

So there you have it: a small pick of the top buildings and landmarks in the city.

I really hope I can get away from the conference long enough to see them all in real life! Or at least just the reunion tower...