The density of important buildings within Dallas’ Arts District is an open secret amongst architectural aficionados. Within a few square miles, one finds major works by Edward Larrabee Barnes, Renzo Piano, I.M. Pei, Kohn Pederson Fox, and Brad Cloepfil; soon two performance halls, one designed by Norman Foster and the other by Rem Koolhaas/OMA, will join the mix. Each of these buildings merits close attention, but it is Kohn Pederson Fox’s Federal Reserve Bank that may prove Dallas’ true architectural masterpiece in the long run. It is a handsome piece of skyscraper design and an intelligent urbanistic presence, providing a striking gateway between the city’s downtown and the various developments that are coming to define its “Uptown” neighborhoods.

--Nico Machida

(*Image: Reflections: Fountain Place, Dallas, Texas; photo by jsmags.)