George Dahl
Encyclopedia
George Leighton Dahl was a prominent American architect
based in Dallas, Texas
during the 20th century. His most notable contributions include the Art Deco
structures of Fair Park
while he oversaw planning and construction of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition
.
parents, Olaf G. and Laura (Olsen) Dahl. He received a B.Arch.
from the University of Minnesota
and a M.Arch.
from Harvard University
in 1923. He subsequently spent two years in Italy
as a fellow at the American Academy in Rome
.
Co. in Dallas, Texas. He became a partner in Greene's firm in 1928, and the name of the firm was changed to Herbert M. Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl (later LaRoche and Dahl).
In 1943, Dahl founded his own company, George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers, Incorporated. He was among the first Texas architects to have a nationwide practice and was among the pioneers in fast-track design, which allowed for actual construction to begin even before the design was finished. Upon his retirement in 1973, he had produced some 3,000 projects throughout the country that are estimated to be worth $3 billion.
Dallas Projects:
Other Projects:
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
based in Dallas, 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...
during the 20th century. His most notable contributions include the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
structures of Fair Park
Fair Park
Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America...
while he oversaw planning and construction of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition
Texas Centennial Exposition
The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. More than 50 buildings, for which "George Dahl was director general of a group of architects who designed the buildings ", were...
.
Background
George Dahl was born in Minneapolis to Norwegian immigrantNorwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
parents, Olaf G. and Laura (Olsen) Dahl. He received a B.Arch.
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture is an undergraduate academic degree designed to satisfy the academic component of professional accreditation bodies, to be followed by a period of practical training prior to professional examination and registration. It is awarded for a course of study that lasts up...
from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and a M.Arch.
Master of Architecture
The Master of Architecture is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation that result in receiving a license.-Overview:...
from Harvard University
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
in 1923. He subsequently spent two years in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as a fellow at the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
.
Career
In 1926, he began work for the Herbert M. GreeneHerbert M. Greene
Herbert Miller Greene was an American architect. He designed the Dallas National Bank Building and a number of buildings for the University of Texas at Austin....
Co. in Dallas, Texas. He became a partner in Greene's firm in 1928, and the name of the firm was changed to Herbert M. Greene, LaRoche, and Dahl (later LaRoche and Dahl).
In 1943, Dahl founded his own company, George Leighton Dahl, Architects and Engineers, Incorporated. He was among the first Texas architects to have a nationwide practice and was among the pioneers in fast-track design, which allowed for actual construction to begin even before the design was finished. Upon his retirement in 1973, he had produced some 3,000 projects throughout the country that are estimated to be worth $3 billion.
Personal life
Dahl was married twice-in 1921 to Lillie E. Olsen, with whom he had one daughter, and in 1978 to Joan Renfro. Dahl died of cancer at the age of ninety-three at his home in Dallas.Significant Work
Dallas Projects:
| Year Completed | Building | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Neiman Marcus Building Neiman Marcus Building The Neiman Marcus Building is a historic commercial structure located in the Main Street District in downtown Dallas, Texas . The structure, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, is the corporate headquarters and flagship store of Neiman Marcus... |
1618 Main Street | |
| 1929 | Titche-Goettinger Building Titche-Goettinger Building The Titche-Goettinger Building is one of Dallas' original broad-front department stores located along St. Paul Street between Main and Elm Street in downtown Dallas, Texas . The structure currently houses apartments, retail space, and the Universities Center at Dallas... |
1900 Elm Street | |
| 1930 | Volk Brothers Building | ||
| 1934 | Singer Building (Dallas, Texas) Singer Building (Dallas, Texas) The Singer Building is a 3-story commercial structure located in the Main Street District in downtown Dallas, Texas . The structure is one of a handful of original early commercial structures along Elm Street; many others were demolished and replaced by large office blocks during various building... |
1514 Elm | |
| 1936 | Tower Building | Fair Park Fair Park Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America... |
|
| 1936 | Esplanade of State | Fair Park Fair Park Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America... |
|
| 1936 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
Fair Park Fair Park Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America... |
|
| 1938, 1972 | Hillcrest State Bank | First drive-through Drive-through A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s but has since spread to other countries. The first recorded use of a bank using a drive... bank |
|
| 1947 | Mayfair Department Store | 141 Elm Street | |
| 1948 | American Poster & Printing Building | 1600 S Akard Street | |
| 1949 | Remington Rand Remington Rand Remington Rand was an early American business machines manufacturer, best known originally as a typewriter manufacturer and in a later incarnation as the manufacturer of the UNIVAC line of mainframe computers but with antecedents in Remington Arms in the early nineteenth century. For a time, the... Building |
2100 N Akard Street | |
| 1949 | Dallas Morning News Building | 508 Young Street | |
| 1949 | Merchants State Bank | Ross/Henderson | |
| 1949 | Philipson's Fashions | Elm/St Paul | |
| 1949 | Dallas Morning News Building | Young Street | |
| 1950 | Employers Insurance Building | ||
| 1950 | Great American Reserve Insurance Building | 2020 Live Oak Street | |
| 1951 | Park Cities Park Cities, Texas Park Cities is a term commonly used in reference to two communities in Dallas County, Texas - the town of Highland Park and the city of University Park... YMCA YMCA The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs... |
6000 Preston Road | |
| 1953 | Mrs. Baird's Bakery Grupo Bimbo Grupo Bimbo is the largest Mexican food company and the largest bakery in the world with brands in Americas, Europe, and China.-History:Grupo Bimbo was established in Mexico in 1945 by Lorenzo Servitje, Jose T. Mata, Jaime Sendra, and Jaime Jorba... |
Central Expressway/Mockingbird | |
| 1955 | Old Dallas Central Library Old Dallas Central Library The former Dallas Public Library, now known as Old Dallas Central Library, is a multi-level civic structure located at 1954 Commerce Street in downtown Dallas, Texas . It is located on the edge of the Farmers Market District and adjacent to Main Street Garden Park... |
1954 Commerce Street | |
| 1956 | Congregation Shearith Israel Congregation Shearith Israel Congregation Shearith Israel, often called The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, is the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. It was established in 1654.... |
||
| 1957 | Dallas Federal Savings and Loan | 1505 Elm Street | |
| 1957 | Dallas Memorial Auditorium | ||
| 1964 | Southwestern Life Building | Ross/Akard | |
| 1965 | Owen Fine Art Center | Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church... |
|
| 1965 | First National Bank Tower Elm Place Elm Place, formerly First National Bank Tower, is a skyscraper located in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas and adjacent to DART's Akard Station. The high-rise is and 52 stories tall, making it the tenth tallest building in Dallas... |
1401 Elm Street | |
| 1969 | Turtle Creek Village Turtle Creek, Dallas Turtle Creek is a neighborhood running along Turtle Creek and adjacent Turtle Creek Boulevard in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, Texas .Turtle Creek has also become an adopted nickname for the Oak Lawn neighborhood, though never an official one... |
Oak Lawn/Blackburn | |
| LTV Aerospace Ling-Temco-Vought Ling-Temco-Vought was a large U.S. conglomerate which existed from 1969 to 2000. At its peak, its component parts were involved in the aerospace industry, electronics, steel manufacturing, sporting goods, the airline industry, meat packing, car rentals and pharmaceuticals, among other... Center |
Grand Prairie | ||
| 1971 | Earle Cabell Federal Building Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse The Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse, named for Earle Cabell and located in the Government District of downtown Dallas, Texas , is a large courts building that houses a variety of federal and state courts.... |
Other Projects:
- Tanglewood Resort, Lake TexomaLake TexomaLake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
, 1960 - Medical facilities for: Methodist HospitalMethodist HospitalMethodist Hospital is the name of numerous medical institutions.* The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas* Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria, Illinois* Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Dallas Public Health Center - Education facilities for: University of Texas, University of North TexasUniversity of North TexasThe University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
, East Texas State College, University of PlanoUniversity of PlanoThe University of Plano was a liberal arts college that existed in Plano, Texas from 1964 to 1977.The school was founded in 1964 by Robert J. Morris, an attorney and former judge known as an anti-Communist. Morris had served as chief counsel the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal...
, Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, Jesuit High SchoolJesuit High SchoolJesuits have founded and/or managed a number of institutions.Jesuit secondary schools include :-California:*Bellarmine College Preparatory... - Prisons for the Texas Department of Corrections
- Retail stores for Sears, Roebuck and Co.