New Dallas Towers Fall Short of the City's Past Skyscrapers

Word that a 40-story building is in the works for the Uptown area has caused a stir. No surprise there.We love our tall buildings in Dallas — even though there haven't been many new skyscrapers during the last few decades.Most of the buildings constructed in Dallas since the 1980s have failed to measure up to the skyline's previous highs.Back in the day, downtown developers were all vying to see who could erect the tallest skyscraper.These days the race is to see who comes up with the fanciest restaurants, tenant lounges and rooftop terraces to woo tenants to Dallas high-rises.Amenities — not size — matter the most when it comes to new projects on the way in Uptown, downtown and the suburbs."Today's buildings may not be bigger, but they are better — both as places to work and as architecture," said Duncan Fulton, one of the founding partners in Dallas architecture firm GFF. "The amenities are better. The place-making is better. The connections to the urban fabric are better."The forms and skins are better and more interesting," he said. "It's a different time, and today's developers and architects are devoting their time, energy and attention to different things."Dallas' first so-called skyscraper was the now-demolished Praetorian Building on Main Street. When the ornate building opened in 1908, people paid a quarter to climb to the top of its 15 floors and look out over Dallas.  Continue reading...