The Campbell Centre towers in North Dallas have long been a highlight of the city’s highway design. The new owners of the famous skyscrapers, Fenway Capital Advisors of California, aim to give the gold buildings a more unique sparkle.
Ian Zapata, an architectural design director at Gensler’s Dallas branch, told The Dallas Morning News, “The buildings are iconic—you can’t miss them. But they are also very much from a different era and different time.” In those days, building design focused on the structure’s outer appearance rather than the interior, where tenants lived.
Fenway Capital’s Patrick Tribolet said last year after purchasing the Campbell Centre, “We could not be more excited about the opportunity to extensively renovate, refresh, and rebrand these iconic towers, which are in one of the best locations in all of Dallas.”
Stream Realty Partners in Dallas is in control of marketing the properties, which were at roughly 80% occupancy at the sale. Trammell Crow Center’s rehabilitation was Stream Realty’s first foray into the Dallas office repositioning market.
Uptown’s Quadrangle development is getting a significant facelift, with the construction of a new office tower just beginning.
Matthew Wieser of Stream Realty at Campbell Centre said that the construction project will start in the coming weeks.
Renovation plans have been in the works for Gensler for the past few months.
“The challenge is how can you be transformative while respecting the image and qualities of the building,” said Zapata told The Dallas Morning News.
With the help of Klyde Warren Park landscape architect OJB, tourists and workers will soon be greeted by lush, green concrete parking decks when they arrive at the towers.
Zapata said that building a parking deck is most important. He noted that a linear park would be made to connect the two 20-story skyscrapers.
“Right now, it’s a very unpleasant walk,” he said. There will be trees, lounging spots, and sections for food trucks. Zapata remarked that they must “green up” the area before anything else can be accomplished.
According to Gensler’s design proposal, clear panels will be installed at the base of some of the structures to replace the mirrored glass.
“We are going to add a little bit of transparency on the ground floor, like most modern buildings,” Zapata said.
The project will focus in part on making the inside more welcoming for tenants, with rooms for dining and relaxing and a less formal public space.
“Those buildings are from a separate Dallas — a coat-and-tie Dallas,” Zapata said. “We are thinking this needs to be a lot more relaxed and lifestyle concentric.”
The towers are also getting a new name. “The Gild” will become the new moniker for the buildings in honor of their golden exterior.
Zapata said, “Those buildings are part of the Dallas skyline. We are building on that with an improvement in the quality of what’s offered and the overall feel.”
