Thanks-Giving Square
Encyclopedia
Thanks-Giving Square is a public-private complex in the City Center District
of downtown
Dallas
, Texas
(USA
). 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. The complex consists of three components: a landscaped park, a major section of the underground pedestrian network and the Bullington Truck Terminal. The City of Dallas leases the land and subsurface from the Thanks-Giving Foundation, but owns the underground structures.
, was dedicated in 1976 to promote the concept of giving thanks as a universal, human value.
At the main entrance to the park is the Court of All Nations and the Wall of Praise. The Wall of Praise features a portion of the text from Psalms
100 and a mosaic based on Norman Rockwell
's "The Golden Rule". From the Wall of Praise, visitors are led to a 50-foot (15 m) Bell Tower that features three bronze
bell
s designed in the form of the Liberty Bell
. The bells ring every hour.
Beside the Bell Tower is the Ring of Thanks and Circle of Giving. The 14-foot (4 m) diameter aluminum ring is covered in 23 carat (96%) gold
leaf and invites the visitor to pass through the ring before entering the courtyard of Thanks-Giving Square.
The most prominent and recognizable feature of Thanks-Giving Square is the Chapel of Thanksgiving, a small, spiral tower that features an enclave for prayerful thanks. The entrance to the chapel is at the end of a 125-foot (38 m
) bridge that runs over a cascading waterfall. Inside the chapel, the spiral is topped with stained glass
"Glory Window", one of largest horizontally mounted stained-glass pieces in the world. The window was designed by Gabriel Loire
of Chartres
, France
to feature brighter colors as the spiral reached its apex, becoming brighter as it reaches the center. The etched glass window "The Spirit of Thanksgiving," designed by glass engraver John Hutton
, features a dove over the doorway.
Below the chapel is the Hall of Thanksgiving and Exhibit Area, which tells the story of the American Thanksgiving
tradition.
The courtyard slopes to below-street level and is surrounded by running water featuring waterfalls and aqueducts. The area contains many grassy areas and is a popular gathering place for office workers and downtown residents.
The private multi-faith organization implements the Multifaith Exploration and Exchange Program that is dedicated to the pursuit of understanding between different faiths and religions. Tours, presentations and various programming take place throughout the year.
is situated one level below the park. Connecting several adjacent buildings, the corridors are lined with restaurant and retail space owned by the City of Dallas. Consecutive construction with the park allowed for skylights, wide walkways and several colorful open spaces to disguise the fact that it is several feet underground. The network can also be accessed from the park's courtyard. Escalators bring the network to ground level at Bullington Street, which serves as a pedestrian mall and connects to the Bullington-Akard Skywalk.
The truck terminal lies 50 feet below ground and contains 43 spaces for trucks, which enter from a portal located at Patterson Street. Adjacent buildings such as the Republic Center
, Energy Plaza
, Thanksgiving Tower
and Fidelity Union Tower built connections to the truck terminal at their own expense and use it as their primary loading dock. Thanks-Giving Square was designed as the first of three truck facilities in the Dallas Central Business District; however, it was the only one funded and completed.
City Center District, Dallas
The City Center District is an area in north-central downtown Dallas, Texas . It lies south of the Arts District, north of the Main Street District, northwest of Deep Ellum, southwest of Bryan Place and east of the West End Historic District. The district contains a large concentration of downtown...
of downtown
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...
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...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). 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
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
of its kind in Dallas. The complex consists of three components: a landscaped park, a major section of the underground pedestrian network and the Bullington Truck Terminal. The City of Dallas leases the land and subsurface from the Thanks-Giving Foundation, but owns the underground structures.
The Park
Thanks-Giving Square generally refers to the visible park, which is operated by the non-profit Thanks-Giving Foundation. The park, designed by architect Philip JohnsonPhilip Johnson
Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an influential American architect.In 1930, he founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and later , as a trustee, he was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the first Pritzker Architecture...
, was dedicated in 1976 to promote the concept of giving thanks as a universal, human value.
At the main entrance to the park is the Court of All Nations and the Wall of Praise. The Wall of Praise features a portion of the text from Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
100 and a mosaic based on Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
's "The Golden Rule". From the Wall of Praise, visitors are led to a 50-foot (15 m) Bell Tower that features three bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
s designed in the form of the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
. The bells ring every hour.
Beside the Bell Tower is the Ring of Thanks and Circle of Giving. The 14-foot (4 m) diameter aluminum ring is covered in 23 carat (96%) gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
leaf and invites the visitor to pass through the ring before entering the courtyard of Thanks-Giving Square.
The most prominent and recognizable feature of Thanks-Giving Square is the Chapel of Thanksgiving, a small, spiral tower that features an enclave for prayerful thanks. The entrance to the chapel is at the end of a 125-foot (38 m
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
) bridge that runs over a cascading waterfall. Inside the chapel, the spiral is topped with stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
"Glory Window", one of largest horizontally mounted stained-glass pieces in the world. The window was designed by Gabriel Loire
Gabriel Loire
Gabriel Loire was a French stained glass artist of the twentieth century whose extensive works, portraying various persons or historical scenes, appear in many venues around the world. He founded the Loire Studio in Chartres, France which continues to produce stained glass windows...
of Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to feature brighter colors as the spiral reached its apex, becoming brighter as it reaches the center. The etched glass window "The Spirit of Thanksgiving," designed by glass engraver John Hutton
John Hutton (artist)
John Hutton is most famous for his glass engravings on the Great West Screen of Coventry Cathedral, UK, known as the "Screen of Saints and Angels", 66 larger-than-life figures that took ten years of creation John Hutton (born 1906 in New Zealand and died 1978 in England) is most famous for his...
, features a dove over the doorway.
Below the chapel is the Hall of Thanksgiving and Exhibit Area, which tells the story of the American Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
tradition.
The courtyard slopes to below-street level and is surrounded by running water featuring waterfalls and aqueducts. The area contains many grassy areas and is a popular gathering place for office workers and downtown residents.
The private multi-faith organization implements the Multifaith Exploration and Exchange Program that is dedicated to the pursuit of understanding between different faiths and religions. Tours, presentations and various programming take place throughout the year.
Pedestrian Network
A major connecting point of the Dallas Pedestrian NetworkDallas Pedestrian Network
The Dallas Pedestrian Network is a system of grade-separated walkways covering thirty-six city blocks of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA. The system connects buildings, garages and parks through underground tunnels and above-ground skybridges...
is situated one level below the park. Connecting several adjacent buildings, the corridors are lined with restaurant and retail space owned by the City of Dallas. Consecutive construction with the park allowed for skylights, wide walkways and several colorful open spaces to disguise the fact that it is several feet underground. The network can also be accessed from the park's courtyard. Escalators bring the network to ground level at Bullington Street, which serves as a pedestrian mall and connects to the Bullington-Akard Skywalk.
Bullington Truck Terminal
The Bullington Truck Terminal, one of the key features in the Ponte-Travers-designed plan for downtown circulation, was constructed to consolidate street-level delivery trucks following Dallas' rapid growth in the 1960s. By placing truck traffic below-grade, it was estimated that 350 trucks per day would be removed from ground-level streets. The city issued $6.5 million for the project as part of the 1972 city bond program; construction was finished in 1977.The truck terminal lies 50 feet below ground and contains 43 spaces for trucks, which enter from a portal located at Patterson Street. Adjacent buildings such as the Republic Center
Gables Republic Tower
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...
, Energy Plaza
Energy Plaza
Energy Plaza is a skyscraper in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas, north of Thanks-Giving Square at 1601 Bryan Street. Designed by I.M. Pei and Partners, the building is and 49 stories, making it the ninth tallest building in Dallas....
, 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 Fidelity Union Tower built connections to the truck terminal at their own expense and use it as their primary loading dock. Thanks-Giving Square was designed as the first of three truck facilities in the Dallas Central Business District; however, it was the only one funded and completed.