Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

2301 Flora Street

Dallas, TX 75201

Built:  Opened in September 1989
Architect:  I. M. Pei
Acoustician:   Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants

Show Description: Designed by I.M. Pei, the home of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has been described as “a symphony for the eyes.”

Features of the building:

A reverberation chamber was installed to better distribute the sound. The chamber is a large empty space with heavy acoustical curtains and lined with 74 motorized concrete doors. The openings can be adjusted to expand and extend the sound depending on the type of performance. It runs around the top of the auditorium and is hidden behind a grill-like lattice.
Floating above the stage, in plain view, is an ornate 4-section acoustical canopy that can be lowered to shrink the space for more intimate performances.
The Herman W. and Amelia H. Lay Family Organ is considered one of the great organs in the world. It has 4,535 pipes, the largest is 32 feet tall and the smallest is about an inch. You can see only 70 pipes from inside the hall. The rest of the 4000 plus pipes are crammed into a 6-foot-deep space behind the organ console.

Take a virtual tour of The Meyerson here.

Where to see I.M. Pei’s work

The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center : was the first and only symphony hall designed by I.M. Pei but it was not the only project that brought the architect to North Texas. Dallas has five buildings designed by Pei and his partners.

Dallas City Hall: was completed in 1977. With its prominent 34-degree cantilevered slant, City Hall is in the Government District of Downtown Dallas.

One Dallas Center: Located in the Dallas Central Business District, this 30-story building was completed in 1979, on the heels of City Hall opening.

https://www.toddinterests.com/one-dallas-center

Energy Plaza: Also downtown, the 49-story building is comprised of three triangles with one forming the base. It was completed in 1983.

Fountain Place: The 60-story office building, originally Allied Bank Tower, was completed in 1986. The 58-story glass prism building is located on the edge of downtown Dallas.

Charles and Anne Valliant Burnett Windfohr Tandy House Pei designed only three private residences. One of them is in Fort Worth. The house was completed in 1969. It typifies Pei’s characteristic use of simple, clean and sharp geometric lines and forms.

Info: https://www.veranda.com/home-decorators/a27508275/i-m-pei-residential-projects/