This project entailed the renovation of the existing three-story former Hall of Administration Building of Dallas’ Fair Park, which was originally built for the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936.

The 70,000-square-foot coliseum building was redesigned to contain 11,000 square feet of exhibition space on three levels. The building features a 175-seat auditorium that can be used for special events or screenings and is equipped with high-definition capabilities

At the front door of the museum is a statue of Venus emerging from a cactus. One of the prime features and the architectural focus of the project is the large 3-story central space exposing the original structural roof trusses of the historic structure. This area was aptly named “The Gathering”. Almost all the building is visible at a glance: the original brick shell, the vast central space capped off with a 35-foot electronic quilt. The stairway from The Gathering leads to the exhibits on the upper floors. A slashing diagonal wall separates the museum area from the administrative offices. The building also contains a café, gift shop, and artifact storage. The facility is available for parties and conferences of up to 1000 people.

G+SAAN’s engineering office G&S Consulting Engineers, working as part of the design team, was honored with the Preservation Achievement Award by the Preservation Dallas Committee.