Dallas: Culture, Front and Center [Fast Cities 2010]

By: Austin CarrMay 1, 2010

Photograph by Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

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Photograph by Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

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LONE STAR STYLE: oster + Partners' Winspear Opera House, the eye-catching "red drum" centerpiece of the district, has crimson-washed glass that glows at night. Outside, a solar canopy shades 4 acres and creates a cooled microclimate for al fresco performances. Inside, a chandelier made from 320 acrylic rods retracts into the ceiling during performances, creating the impression of a starry night.| Photograph by Nigel Young/Foster + Partners

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What would a city be without culture? No place we'd want to live. Yet most attempts to seed thriving centers are fraught with stumbles. The new AT&T Performing Arts Center solidifies Dallas's arts district by bringing a red-hot heart to the city's downtown, already home to a symphony hall and sculpture museum. The center, which opened in October and includes the Wyly Theatre and Winspear Opera House, attracted more than 100,000 visitors its first season. "It's not just the number of facilities but the nature of the facilities," says center CEO Mark Nerenhausen. "We've reached critical mass."

From Issue 145 | May 2010

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