Project Details
- Project Name
- Dallas County Records Building Complex and Addition
- Architect
- Gensler
- Client/Owner
- Dallas County Texas
- Project Types
- Government
- Project Scope
- Adaptive Reuse
- Size
- 320,000 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2023
- Shared by
- Kelly Hardwick
- Team
- Paul Manno, Principal
- Certifications & Designations
- LEED Gold
- Project Status
- Built
- Room or Space
- Architectural Detail
- Style
- Traditional
Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
The Dallas County Records Building Complex and Addition is an adaptive reuse and renovation project that showcases the landmark's distinctive architecture, while modernizing it for efficiency. The transformation consists of three buildings with a rich, storied history, from hosting the trial of Jack Ruby and the jail cell of Clyde Barrow, to the site overlooking Dealey Plaza.
Built from 1915 to 1955, the buildings housed an abandoned jail, aging courtrooms, and outdated offices, which formed a complex puzzle of misaligned floors and interior layouts. A super core-fill solution fused the three separate buildings to transform them into a modern workplace for the employees of Dallas County, while keeping the building’s historic significance.
Given the historic significance of the buildings and the role they played as the backdrop of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, it was critical to maintain the character and appearance of the building as it was during that time.
The restoration and modernization of these historic buildings on the site where Dallas County was founded in 1846, reflects the County's commitment not only to recognizing the past but moving forward with the future.