Constructed over the active, eight-lane Woodall Rogers Freeway in Dallas, Klyde Warren Park is a highly programmed, 5.2-acre urban deck park that has catalyzed unprecedented economic development and has become central Dallas’ most popular public open space. A group of civic leaders who would later become the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation (WRPF) recognized an important opportunity to transform the physical and psychological barrier of the freeway by linking Dallas’ Uptown, Downtown and Arts Districts with a signature green space. After soliciting public input on the park’s program, the Office of James Burnett developed a simple, elegant plan flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of community, arts, and cultural events.

A linear grove of red oak trees in gravel insulates the center of the park from the busy frontage road while a tree-lined promenade sweeps through the site, connecting the park’s many garden rooms. At the heart of the park lies a 6000-SF restaurant with a 500-SF café kiosk and public restrooms adjacent. An iconic band shell overlooks the 30,000-SF event lawn to the west and Moody Plaza’s interactive water feature to the east.

From early morning to late evening, the children’s garden, dog park, reading room and game terraces attract a vibrant, diverse crowd from across the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The WRPF’s event programming staff keeps the park’s calendar full of offerings including Dallas Opera simulcasts, free concerts, regular fitness classes and a rotating menu of the city’s most popular food trucks. Since its opening in 2012, the park has welcomed more than a million visitors annually and received numerous awards, including the Urban Land Institute’s 2014 Urban Open Space Award. Klyde Warren Park has also had a tremendous economic impact on nearby redevelopment projects and adjacent real estate.

Location: Dallas, TX

Team: Thomas Phifer and Partners, Jacobs Engineering, Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, Bjerke Management Solutions, Endres Ware Architects, Focus Lighting Design, Fluidity Design Consultants, Sweeney Associates, Dal-Tech Engineering, Focus EGD, The Johnson Studio, McCarthy, Archer Western, ValleyCrest

Awards: Texas Society of Architects Honor Awards - Citation of Honor, Klyde Warren Park 2015, ULI Urban Open Space Award Space Award, Klyde Warren Park 2014, Texas Society of Architects Honor Award, Federal Highway Administration Environmental Excellence Award, D-Magazine  

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