Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
2301 Flora Street
Dallas
Texas 75201
USA

I.M. Pei 1989

Pei's first concert hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center was the firm's third building in Dallas: an arts building to complement the commercial and government buildings already complete. It offered Pei an opportunity to push further his geometrical approach to design: "Geometry has always been the underpinning of my architecture, and in the early work it was relatively simplistic." Here the grand curved skylights, which Pei described as "lenses", became part of a bold and intriguing geometry to encourage people to enter the building.

This external geometry translates into grand curves in the internal foyer, accentuated by the shadowing of the diagonal glazing from the skylights. The Baroque-influenced curves are particularly dramatic from the staircase up from the underground car-park entrance.

The Dallas symphony hall is also famous for its cost - over $80 million - as a group of oil-rich clients, without clear leadership, gradually acceded to more and more of Pei's perfectionism. The result is indeed a beautifully finished building.

Simon Glynn 2005

How to visit

The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is on the north edge of the Arts District in downtown Dallas - a two-minute walk from Renzo Piano's wonderful Nasher Sculpture Center. The main entrance to the Meyerson Symphony Center is on Flora Street, between Pearl and Leonard Streets.

Parking is available in the Arts District Parking Garage, on Woodall Rogers and Pearl Street, Crockett Street, and Ross Avenue just after Leonard Street. Surface parking lots are also available at Pearl and Olive Street.

Public tours of the building are offered at 1pm on most days. For more information and for opening times and concert programs please call +1 214 692 0203 or visit www.meyersonsymphonycenter.com.

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