March 26, 2021 (Dallas, TX) – Today, Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy and the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department opened West End Square, a public park located at 607 Corbin Street in the West End Historic District in Downtown Dallas. Formerly a surface parking lot, the site has been converted into the only public park in this urban neighborhood. West End Square is the second of four parks built as a result of a public-private partnership between Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy (DDPC) and Dallas Park & Recreation.
Amy Meadows, President and CEO of Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy said “West End Square has been contemplated since 2004 when it was identified as a potential park site in the City of Dallas Downtown Parks Master Plan. We are excited to invite the citizens of Dallas to embrace and enjoy this little gem in the Downtown park system.”
James Corner Field Operations, the landscape architect and design lead, developed a steel trellis structure that wraps three sides of the park, referred to as the “Frame”. The Frame activates the street edge by creating a diversely programmed threshold between the Historic District’s sidewalks and the Square’s garden interior. The Frame’s major design elements include:
- The Porch – Featuring porch swings hung from the Frame’s edge along North Record Street that are an interactive and social feature, the Porch provides a relaxing environment for all ages.
- Outdoor Workroom – Located beneath the shade canopy created by the Frame’s northern edge, this space houses a 50-foot-long table fitted with charging stations and Wi-Fi, providing a unique opportunity to comfortably work outside.
- Innovation Arcade – The Frame along the park’s Market Street edge is designed to host temporary installations, performances and artwork, further expanding community programming opportunities at West End Square.
In addition to these park amenities, Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy and public art organization AURORA have partnered to bring an interactive artwork by Montreal-based artist Daniel Iregui to the Square. Iregui’s interactive digital sculpture, ANTIBODIES, reacts to the movement of park visitors via motion sensor and is the inaugural project within West End Square’s Innovation Arcade, a section of the park along Market Street designed to showcase a rotation of temporary installations. ANTIBODIES will be on view from March 26 – April 4.
ANTIBODIES is an interactive installation in the form of a larger-than-life LED wall that tracks the faces of participants and elicits them to make facial expressions. Activated by motion sensors as visitors to West End Square walk by and interact with the piece, ANTIBODIES reflects on the monotony of video calls—today’s imposed form of social gatherings in the COVID-19 era. The installation is accompanied by a web-based version of the artwork, accessed at aurora.antibodies.webcam
Isabel Castilla, Principal-in-Charge at James Corner Field Operations says “West End Square’s design vision is to create a welcoming neighborhood park for day-to-day use while also carving out space for interactive artwork that can further expand the urban park’s programming, engaging the larger community and showcasing Dallas’ strong spirit of innovation. We are excited for ANTIBODIES to be the Square’s inaugural artwork—a piece that is fully compatible with our design vision for the Innovation Arcade.”
To celebrate the opening of this neighborhood park, Bank of America Plaza will have a special lighting display the evening of March 26th.
About Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy:
Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy (DDPC) is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation established in 2015 to advance long-term development and support of public parks within Downtown.
PfDD is on course to build four new urban neighborhood parks by late 2022 / early 2023, and in parallel, develop a framework for maintaining and improving Downtown’s public parks. The strategy is founded upon the design principles and financing tactics outlined in the 2004 Downtown Parks Master Plan and its 2013 Update, both of which were unanimously adopted by the Dallas City Council and the Park and Recreation Board.
For more information visit www.downtowndallasparks.org
About West End Square
West End Square is a public park located in the West End Historic District in Downtown Dallas. Formerly a surface parking lot, the site has been converted into the city’s first park in this urban neighborhood. West End Square is the second of four parks built as a result of a public-private partnership between Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy and the City of Dallas Park & Recreation Department.
James Corner Field Operations, the landscape architect and project lead, designed a steel trellis structure that wraps three sides of the park, referred to as the “Frame”. The Frame activates the street edge by creating a diversely programmed threshold between the Historic District’s sidewalks and the Square’s garden interior. Click here to read more about the design of West End Square.
About AURORA
AURORA is a Dallas-based public arts organization at the intersection of art, technology and community that presents works by the most visionary artists of our time. A cornerstone of arts and culture in North Texas, AURORA aims to expand the future of art through a dialogue that engages the creative possibilities within ourselves and each other.
Since its founding in 2010 by artists Shane Pennington and Joshua King, along with veteran Dallas arts supporter Veletta Forsythe Lill, the AURORA Biennial has attracted 200,000 visitors and commissioned and presented over 300 local and international artists. It continues to expand its reach and impact. Through this initiative and support of the Dallas arts community, AURORA has grown over the years from a local arts event to a multifaceted public arts organization with the ability to give back to artists and creatives in the region.
AURORA is a component fund of The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)(3), publicly supported charity, Federal Tax ID 75-2890371. All contributions to the AURORA Fund of The Dallas Foundation are tax deductible, as allowed by law.
For more information, visit dallasAURORA.com/ANTIBODIES
