7-Eleven project has an artistic inspiration
Architects planning modern look for new headquarters building
10:45 PM CDT on Monday, June 20, 2005
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
Developer Billingsley Co. is giving a first look at 7-Eleven Inc.'s new headquarters in downtown Dallas.
The modern-style concrete and glass high-rise was designed by local architects and will house the first office space built in the Arts District since the 1980s.
Billingsley Co.
The One Arts Plaza tower will be built of unembellished concrete, steel and glass. Its 'front door' will be Flora Street.
"We are working on construction details right now and plan to break ground in July," said Lucy Billingsley, whose firm is building the $100 million project at Flora and Routh streets.
7-Eleven announced in April that it would relocate its 1,000-person headquarters from Cityplace on North Central Expressway in early 2007.
Along with the convenience store chain's offices, the 24-story One Arts Plaza tower will contain an additional 180,000 square feet of multitenant office space, plus 71 luxury condominiums on top.
"Most people will be looking at our building down Flora Street, which is our front door," said architect Lionel Morrison with Morrison Seifert Murphy.
Mr. Morrison's firm and architects at Corgan Associates who worked on the project also had to acknowledge their competition in the Arts District – high-profile designers of the cultural landmarks including the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and Nasher Sculpture Center.
"We are surrounded by these buildings done by world-class architects on essentially unlimited budgets," he said.
Instead of expensive stone or elaborate metal panels, the One Arts Plaza exteriors will be constructed of unembellished concrete, steel and glass.
"We don't have the budget to make this a limestone building," Mr. Morrison said. "But we need to hold our own in this company."
The building's upper levels are accented by a large section of glass wall and balconies for the condominiums.
On the ground floor, two glass and steel wings facing a plaza will have retail space and help mask the parking garage.
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