Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1493307
THE JOULE HOTEL, Dallas (1920s, renovation 2008): At the end of the 20th century, a neo-Gothic landmark building, originally Dallas National Bank, stood vacant, an indication of downtown Dallas' decline. After a decade of deals and massive renovations, the bank building metamorphosed into a five-star boutique hotel, The Joule, with interiors designed by Adam Tihany. More than 70 large-scale mosaics by mid-century artist Millard Sheets were salvaged from demolition, moved, meticulously restored, and are now on display in The Joule's public spaces. JUDD FOUNDATION, Marfa (1994): Donald Judd remains one of the most significant artists of the 20th century. In Marfa, The Judd Foundation preserves his former art and architecture studios, which occupy downtown buildings acquired from the 1970s to 1990s, a princely surfeit of space in an exquisitely beautiful and isolated pilgrimage site. Judd's residence, La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, is an adobe wall-enclosed city block consisting of a quartermaster's house qua residence, hangars displaying work, his 13,000-volume library, and an expansive courtyard. ALEX MARKS THE KIMPTON PITTMAN HOTEL, Dallas (1916, renovation 2020): This luxury hotel opened in Deep Ellum in 2020, in the former temple of the fraternal Order of the Knights of Pythias, designed in 1916 by Texas' first African- American architect, William Sidney Pittman. Pittman, the son- in-law of Booker T. Washington, was a renowned Black architect in Dallas, and the building was the first commercial building built by and for African-American professionals. A century later, one of the hallmarks of the hotel's renovation is the restored grand ballroom where Texas- born American blues legends Blind Lemon Jefferson and Sam Lightnin' Hopkins once performed. K I N G W I L L I A M H I STO R I C DISTRICT, San Antonio (1853 through late 19th century): Originally farm acreage for the Alamo, King William became San Antonio's first suburb during the German diaspora in Texas, named for King Wilhelm I, then King of Prussia. It evolved into a neighborhood of extravagant homes for wealthy German merchants but fell into decline in the early '20s. Walter Mathis, a direct descendant of San Antonio's original Canary Island settlers and John W. Smith (the Alamo's last messenger), spearheaded the preservation of King William, Texas' first National Register Historic District (1972), and deeded his home, Villa Finale, to the National Trust. KRAIGHER HOUSE, Brownsville (1937, restored 2008): Built for Pan Am Airways pilot and executive George Kraigher, the residence is iconic in three ways: the first modernist house in Texas, the first house designed by architect Richard Neutra in the nation (outside of California), and Neutra's only single-family dwelling in our state. The International Style home, published in Architectural Record in 1939, was rehabilitated by The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College in 2008, a major win for preservationists. COURTESY DOCOMOMO US JEAN LACY'S STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS, Dallas (1993), Houston (1994): With their bold imagery from the Civil Rights Movement, Jean Lacy's ecclesiastical stained-glass windows signal a radical departure from traditional Judeo- Christian subjects. Her extraordinary windows interweave biblical stories with historical and contemporary African- American struggles and triumphs. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Harriet Tubman are depicted in her largest commission, Windows of Our Heritage — 53 windows for St. Luke Community United Methodist Church in Dallas. Lacy was also tapped to design 11 panels for the historic Trinity United Methodist Church in Houston's Third Ward. CHET BELL PHOTOGRAPHY Kraigher House Judd Foundation The Edward Steves Jr. House King William Historic District (Continued) 75 TEXAS DESIGN ICONS 70