Sheraton Dallas Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Sheraton Dallas Hotel, formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel and originally the Southland Center, is a complex of international style
skyscrapers located in the City Center District of downtown Dallas
, Texas
. The hotel is the tallest and largest hotel in Dallas and Texas with 1,840 guest rooms and 260000 sq ft (24,154.8 m²) of meeting space. It has been host to pop culture conventions such as Project A-Kon
and Twicon
.
from Los Angeles for the Southland Life Insurance Company. When groundbreaking for the buildings took place in 1955 it was compared to Manhattan's Rockefeller Center
, as Southland Center was the first mixed-use project in downtown containing both hotel and office space.
Southland Center was the second major development in the northeast end of downtown now known as the City Center District. The original two buildings, completed in 1958, consisted of the 42 story (550ft) center tower Southland Life Building and the 28 story (353ft) south tower Sheraton Dallas Hotel. In early 1981, the 31 story (448ft) North Tower was added as additional office space. All three buildings are rectangular slab structures and surrounded by a common base. The facade was covered with curtain walls of glass and 1,000+ spandrel panels of light weight precast concrete faced with blue Italian glass mosaic tiles.
From 1959 to 1964 the tower overtook the Republic National Bank Building
and became the tallest in the city and tallest building west of the Mississippi River
. It was later surpassed by Republic Center Tower II. For many years after the building's opening the most exclusive restaurant in downtown Dallas was the Chaparral Club on the 37th floor, and an observation deck was located at the top of the tower.
Southland Life vacated the complex when Cityplace Center was opened in 1988. The Sheraton Dallas Hotel closed soon after. In 1990 a central tower addition of 25 floors and bay windows was proposed to make the complex competitive to newer projects going up in the city. However, the complex sat vacant for many years until the Adam's Mark
hotel chain purchased and redeveloped all three towers of the complex into one large hotel in 1998. DART's
adjacent light rail
line and Pearl Station
were major factors in converting the complex into a first-rate convention facility. A parking garage and 3-story convention building were constructed on an adjoining block to the southwest, and the building's facade of glass mosaics was painted gray during the building's conversion.
In 2007, the Adam's Mark Dallas was sold and the new owners reflagged it as a Sheraton, returning to the shortest tower's original name from its construction fifty years before, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. A $90 million project began in 2009 to renovate guestrooms, public spaces, and the convention center. .
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
skyscrapers located in the City Center District of downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The hotel is the tallest and largest hotel in Dallas and Texas with 1,840 guest rooms and 260000 sq ft (24,154.8 m²) of meeting space. It has been host to pop culture conventions such as Project A-Kon
Project A-Kon
A-Kon, formerly known as Project: A-Kon, is a three day anime convention held annually in Dallas, Texas usually on the last weekend of May. First held in 1990 with just 380 people in attendance, A-Kon is North America's longest running national anime convention.-Departments:A-Kon consists of...
and Twicon
Twicon
TwiCon was an unofficial Twilight fan convention which was held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from July 30 to August 2, 2009. TwiCon featured a movie screening, live Twilight-inspired band performances, a Volturi Masque Ball, opportunities to meet Twilight cast, breakout sessions, panels, workshops,...
.
History
The complex was originally designed by Welton Becket & AssociatesWelton Becket
Welton Becket was an architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California.Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washington program in Architecture in 1927 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree .He settled in Los Angeles in 1933 and formed a...
from Los Angeles for the Southland Life Insurance Company. When groundbreaking for the buildings took place in 1955 it was compared to Manhattan's Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
, as Southland Center was the first mixed-use project in downtown containing both hotel and office space.
Southland Center was the second major development in the northeast end of downtown now known as the City Center District. The original two buildings, completed in 1958, consisted of the 42 story (550ft) center tower Southland Life Building and the 28 story (353ft) south tower Sheraton Dallas Hotel. In early 1981, the 31 story (448ft) North Tower was added as additional office space. All three buildings are rectangular slab structures and surrounded by a common base. The facade was covered with curtain walls of glass and 1,000+ spandrel panels of light weight precast concrete faced with blue Italian glass mosaic tiles.
From 1959 to 1964 the tower overtook the Republic National Bank Building
Republic Center
Republic Center is a mixed-use complex at 300 N. Ervay Street and 325 N. St. Paul Street in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas , adjacent to Thanks-giving Square. The complex is located diagonally across the street from DART's St. Paul Station, which serves its , and light rail...
and became the tallest in the city and tallest building west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. It was later surpassed by Republic Center Tower II. For many years after the building's opening the most exclusive restaurant in downtown Dallas was the Chaparral Club on the 37th floor, and an observation deck was located at the top of the tower.
Southland Life vacated the complex when Cityplace Center was opened in 1988. The Sheraton Dallas Hotel closed soon after. In 1990 a central tower addition of 25 floors and bay windows was proposed to make the complex competitive to newer projects going up in the city. However, the complex sat vacant for many years until the Adam's Mark
Adam's Mark
Adam's Mark is a former chain of upscale hotels in the United States. The company was based in St. Louis, Missouri. The chain was founded in the early 1970s by Fred Kummer and owned by HBE, Corp., which was also founded by Kummer.-History:...
hotel chain purchased and redeveloped all three towers of the complex into one large hotel in 1998. DART's
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
adjacent light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line and Pearl Station
Pearl Station
Pearl Station is a DART Light Rail station located in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas on Bryan Street, east of Pearl Street. It opened June 14, 1996, and is a station on the and Lines, serving the Plaza of the Americas, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 2001 Bryan Tower, the San...
were major factors in converting the complex into a first-rate convention facility. A parking garage and 3-story convention building were constructed on an adjoining block to the southwest, and the building's facade of glass mosaics was painted gray during the building's conversion.
In 2007, the Adam's Mark Dallas was sold and the new owners reflagged it as a Sheraton, returning to the shortest tower's original name from its construction fifty years before, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. A $90 million project began in 2009 to renovate guestrooms, public spaces, and the convention center. .