211 North Ervay
Encyclopedia
211 North Ervay is a high rise
located at 211 North Ervay Street in the City Center District of Dallas
, Texas
, United States. The building rises 250 feet (132 meters) and contains 20 floors of office space. The colorful building of modernist design
is situated on a prominent city corner and adjacent to Thanks-Giving Square
.
, Burt Tower and Adolphus Tower). The tower was built on a slim corner lot, 50 feet (15.2 m) in width and 200 feet (61 m) long, and replaced early commercial structures. Adjacent to the structure was the Palace Theater, one of many on Elm Street's historic Theater Row.
The building's facade was covered with continuous glass windows along with alternating azure and aquamarine porcelain spandrels. The colorful design was a popular way to add color to otherwise bland urban skylines of the mid-twentieth century. The ground floor, containing the main entrance on Ervay, was covered in granite and recessed to provide extra sidewalk width for street level retail space; the second floor was covered in mosaics. Opened in 1958 as a general office building, it was popular with insurance companies, law firms, and aviation-related companies.
The building was sold in 1971 and 1977; the second sale resulted in a complete remodeling of the lobby, elevators and changes in the exterior facade of the first two levels. Over successive years occupancy rates slowly declined as modern skyscrapers such as 1700 Pacific
, Thanksgiving Tower
and Comerica Bank Tower surrounded the building. The building was sold again in 1986, and by 1995 it was completely vacant. Labeled an eyesore, in 2004 Dallas Mayor Laura Miller
campaigned to have the building demolished for a downtown park. In response, Preservation Dallas included the building in its inaugural list of Dallas’ Most Endangered Historic Places, citing its importance in the National Register's Dallas Downtown Historic District
and an example of the vanishing "cool blue" architecture of the 1950s.
In 2005 3J Development purchased the building and planned to convert the building into residential units. The renovation plan, abandoned in 2007, would have altered the facade and removed the distinctive blue panels. The structure was one of seven downtown buildings targeted by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
for numerous code and fire hazards in 2009, resulting in a cleanup of the ground floor and updated safety systems. As of 2010, the building remains a colorful feature of downtown Dallas even as upper floors remain vacant.
High Rise
High Rise is a 1975 novel by J. G. Ballard. It takes place in an ultra-modern, luxury high-rise building.-Plot summary:The building seems to give its well-established tenants all the conveniences and commodities that modern life has to offer: swimming pools, its own school, a supermarket,...
located at 211 North Ervay Street in the City Center District of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, 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...
, United States. The building rises 250 feet (132 meters) and contains 20 floors of office space. The colorful building of modernist design
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
is situated on a prominent city corner and adjacent to Thanks-Giving Square
Thanks-Giving Square
Thanks-Giving Square is a public-private complex in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas . Originally planned as the first of several traffic-relieving complexes in downtown Dallas, it was dedicated in 1976; at the time it was the first public-private partnership of its kind in Dallas...
.
History
The building was designed by architects Hedrick & Stanley for developer Leo Corrigan as his fourth major downtown office building (after the Corrigan TowerCorrigan Tower
Corrigan Tower, also known as 1900 Pacific, is a high rise located at 1900 Pacific Avenue in the City Center District of Dallas, Texas. The building contains 20 floors of office space and is of modernist design. It is situated on the high-traffic corner of St. Paul Street, Live Oak Street and...
, Burt Tower and Adolphus Tower). The tower was built on a slim corner lot, 50 feet (15.2 m) in width and 200 feet (61 m) long, and replaced early commercial structures. Adjacent to the structure was the Palace Theater, one of many on Elm Street's historic Theater Row.
The building's facade was covered with continuous glass windows along with alternating azure and aquamarine porcelain spandrels. The colorful design was a popular way to add color to otherwise bland urban skylines of the mid-twentieth century. The ground floor, containing the main entrance on Ervay, was covered in granite and recessed to provide extra sidewalk width for street level retail space; the second floor was covered in mosaics. Opened in 1958 as a general office building, it was popular with insurance companies, law firms, and aviation-related companies.
The building was sold in 1971 and 1977; the second sale resulted in a complete remodeling of the lobby, elevators and changes in the exterior facade of the first two levels. Over successive years occupancy rates slowly declined as modern skyscrapers such as 1700 Pacific
1700 Pacific
1700 Pacific is a skyscraper located at 1700 Pacific Avenue in the City Center District of Dallas, Texas. The building rises 655 feet and contains 50 floors of office space. It is the seventh tallest building in the city, at 655 feet and has fifty floors...
, Thanksgiving Tower
Thanksgiving Tower
Thanksgiving Tower is a 50 story high-rise at in downtown Dallas, adjacent to Thanks-Giving Square, the park which the building takes its name. The building opened in 1982 rises to a height of 645 feet and at its completion in 1982, was the second tallest building in Dallas. It surpassed Elm...
and Comerica Bank Tower surrounded the building. The building was sold again in 1986, and by 1995 it was completely vacant. Labeled an eyesore, in 2004 Dallas Mayor Laura Miller
Laura Miller
Laura Miller served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2002 through 2007. She did not run for re-election in the 2007 mayoral race. She was the third woman to serve as mayor of Dallas.- Education and career :...
campaigned to have the building demolished for a downtown park. In response, Preservation Dallas included the building in its inaugural list of Dallas’ Most Endangered Historic Places, citing its importance in the National Register's Dallas Downtown Historic District
Dallas Downtown Historic District
The Dallas Downtown Historic District is a area in downtown Dallas, Texas, United States that was designated a historic district in 2006 to preserve the diverse architectural history of the area. It was expanded by over in 2009....
and an example of the vanishing "cool blue" architecture of the 1950s.
In 2005 3J Development purchased the building and planned to convert the building into residential units. The renovation plan, abandoned in 2007, would have altered the facade and removed the distinctive blue panels. The structure was one of seven downtown buildings targeted by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
Tom Leppert
Tom Leppert is an American politician who served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2007 to 2011, and who worked as CEO of the Turner Corporation...
for numerous code and fire hazards in 2009, resulting in a cleanup of the ground floor and updated safety systems. As of 2010, the building remains a colorful feature of downtown Dallas even as upper floors remain vacant.