Rising to the occasion presented by The Caravan of Dreams, I’d also like to take a moment to talk about a few of my favorite Fort Worth buildings, in no particular order. I’ll be going for buildings that do not already appear on the AIA Fort Worth 25 Favorite Buildings list, so this isn’t ALL my favorites - just the ones that aren’t on the AIA list.
As a counterpoint to Steve’s post, I’m much more of a traditionalist than a modernist. My heart belongs to Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, Neoclassical, and similar styles. I do, however, appreciate good modernism in an urban context, if it’s not a horrid soul-crushing unfriendly monster like, say, Burnett Plaza.
W. T. Waggoner Building
The home of XTO Energy, the W. T. Waggoner Building from 1919 is an elegant, graceful part of the Fort Worth downtown skyline. The building’s slender U-shaped tower and lovely detailing make it one of our city’s true gems.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
The tiny St. Patrick’s Cathedral from 1888 is a lovely thing on the outside, but jaws are sure to drop upon entering its almost overwhelmingly gorgeous interior. The church has been beautifully maintained and used throughout the years, and is a wonderful stop in downtown next to the under-construction Omni Hotel.
The Sanguinet Building
David Schwarz’s Sanguinet Building from 2002 (otherwise known as the Chase Bank Building) may not be an example of bleeding-edge modernity, but it does a fantastic job of bridging the gap between the glass & concrete modernist towers near it and the historic structures of Sundance Square. Even on its own, though, the building impresses with its intricate brickwork, elegant proportions, and fantastic pedestrian appeal and street interaction.
Bass Performance Hall
David Schwarz’s Bass Performance Hall from 1998 gets a nod simply by being wonderfully beautiful, but its great urban design (right up against the street, as opposed to Dallas’s Meyerson Hall), lavish interior and world-class acoustics are also fine reasons to include it. It deserves its spot amongst the great halls of the world.
Plaza Hotel Building
This small building in Sundance Square is no longer a hotel, but serves as office space and the home of the downtown Mercury Chop House and La Madeleine. I love the white glazed brick and colorful terra cotta trim. A small, but lovely, little gem of a building.
Blackstone Hotel
“Fort Worth’s Hotel of Distinction,” said the old postcards, and who are we to argue? The elegant Blackstone Hotel lives on as a Courtyard by Marriott, its New York-style setbacks crowned with lovely Deco spires. A subtle building, but it really grew on me quickly and now it’s a favorite.
The Kress Building
The Kress Building may not be a five & dime anymore, but the beautiful Art Deco architecture that Mr. Kress insisted upon for his stores continues to impress. Now the home of the Fox & Hound Pub and loft apartments, the Kress Building serves as a reminder that affordable goods were once not dispensed in big, faceless boxes.
Texas & Pacific Warehouse
Besides being HOLY CRAP THAT’S A BIG BUILDING big, the T&P Warehouse has that awesome industrial Deco thing going for it as well. It never gets the love that the T&P Terminal and Post Office get, perhaps because it’s been vacant for so long. It’s one of my favorites, though, and I think it will make fantastic lofts. Fortunately, a redevelopment plan is falling into place for the building, so it won’t be long before we actually see that come true.
Max Mehl Building
The old Max Mehl coin store building on Magnolia in Fort Worth South isn’t a household name, but I’m a big fan. Until recently, the three-story building was in such bad shape it was virtually falling over, but a recent redevelopment has seen it fully restored to its original beauty and reopened for retail and office space use. From the lovely brick & white wood to the bay windows to the old stone Max Mehl storefront, the Mehl Building is everything I love about vintage urbanism. My only complaint? I wish its upper floors were apartments, as it was originally, rather than office space. Mainly because I’d move there in a heartbeat. :)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Classifieds Building
This might seem an odd choice, but I love this building for its potential, and for what it once was. Like all the Star-Telegram’s buildings, the Classifieds Building is rather neglected, but I think it’s got a ton of charm hidden away behind their lack of care. Built originally as the home of Tarrant Savings, the little building once featured translucent blue panels running up its facade between the metal fins that project from it, and was described as looking like a multi-story Googie coffee shop. Today, the panels are gone, the windows are fitted with horrid mirror tint, and the whole building is dingy and unloved. I would love to buy this building and restore it - put back the blue panels, give it a power wash, get rid of the window tint, rearrange the ground floor for retail, install a big Googie neon sign and reopen it as condos or something. Few people appreciate it, but it’s one of my favorites.
So there you have it. Hopefully I did alright - what do you say, Steve? :)
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