2011 HKS DF VI_Fair Park by HKS, Inc.

HKS Design Fellowship VI

Fair Park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 because of its exceptional significance in American History. Fair Ground History www.fairpark.org

Today the facility lacks the activity to match the grandeur of its historical designation.

FAIR PARK DESERVES BETTER

THE HKS DESIGN FELLOWSHIP HAS SET OUT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM 9

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.â&#x20AC;? Jane Jacobs Urban Theorist

Table of

Contents

WHAT IS THE HKS DESIGN FELLOWSHIP? 14 THIS YEAR’S CHALLENGE 16 “SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE” 20 the “HUB” 34 THE “STROLL” 46 THE FUTURE 60 13

WHAT IS THE HKS DESIGN FELLOWSHIP? he HKS Design Fellowship is a yearly T event when we donate our talent, skills, time and resources to help make our communities a better place.

This is an architectural design competition on steroids, and the prize is a better community to live in and helping people through excellent design, so everyone wins. Over the course of three days, the fellows, who are HKS employees and Students from all over the world, brainstorm, research, design and present their ideas to our community partner, who is able to take those ideas and make them a reality...and this is all done probono.

Our goal is to cultivate emerging design talent, excite and stimulate new ideas, and deepen our design philosophy across all of our offices in an effort to continue to raise the quality of design at HKS for our clients and our communities.

Steroids for the design side of the mind. 15

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

ince its inception as the grounds for the S Dallas State Fair in 1886, through its growth for the celebrated 1936 Texas Centennial

Exposition and current multidimensional events, Fair Park has served its community magnificently. Current economic conditions and publicized departure of important stakeholders has created the need for a new vision for Fair Park. To help preserve, progress and enhance its value, the 2011 HKS Design Fellowship has chosen to re-imagine new possibilities for an activity-filled, socially sensible and economically self-sustaining Fair Park. This captivating dialogue between history and progress – as well as community and economy – will take center stage at the 2011 HKS Design Fellowship.

“...a sense and questioning of not what is, but rather what could be in creating a destination and sense of place.” – DANIEL HUERTA, Executive General Manager City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department

The challenge for the design fellows is to consider the implications of a new master plan as well as specific architectural interventions that work towards achieving this master plan and new vision for Fair Park. 17

FAIR PARK HISTORY hile the location of Fair Park dates W back to the original 1886 fairgrounds, many of the existing buildings were constructed

for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition which attracted over seven million visitors and contributed to the highlights that earned it the designation of a National Historic Landmark in 1986. This significance in American history is magnified by a relationship with the State Fair of Texas that has endured for more than a century. The 30-structure Fair Park complex constitutes the largest intact concentration of 1930s-era exposition buildings and public art remaining in the United States. It is also 18

recognized as one of the most significant sites in the world for Art Deco architecture. Today, Fair Park is a 277-acre venue containing one of the largest complexes of year-round cultural, entertainment, exhibit and sports facilities in the U.S. Southwest. Fair Park is operated by the City of Dallas’ Fair Park Administration – a division of the city’s Park and Recreation Department – and supported by the Friends of Fair Park, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. VISIT THE FAIR PARK WEBSITE AT:

WWW.FAIRPARK.ORG

BY THE NUMBERS he challenge for Fair Park is obviously T not one of complete neglect from the general public, but one of public perception.

Past disrepair of aging facilities and surrounding neighborhood concerns have perpetuated perceptions of unsafe conditions. Additionally, entities who had once called Fair Park home and were sources that drew visitors have announced plans to relocate. As a perspective, consider this. In reality, the annual attendance of approximately 7 million visitors is impressive. Half of the attendance is attributable to the 3 weeks in October every year during the State Fair of Texas. It is interesting to compare visitor data to similar park facilities like Central Park in NYC, Seattle Center, and Ontario Place. Fair Park: 7 million visitors per year / 277 acres = 25,270 visitors / acre / year or 7 million / 52 weeks per year = 134,615 visitors / week

Central Park: 38 million visitors per year / 843 acres = 45,077 visitors / acre / year or 38 million visitors per year / 52 weeks per year = 730,769 visitors / week Seattle Center: 10 million visitors per year / 74 acres = 135,135 visitors / acre / year or 10 million visitors per year / 52 weeks per year = 192,307 visitors / week Ontario Place: 1 million visitors per year / 96 acres = 10,416 visitors / acre / year or 1 million visitors per year / 52 weeks per year = 19,231 visitors / week If the Fair Park data is dissected even further, one realizes that the average daily visitor count per acre is around 70 people. Compared to Central Park and Seattle Center, there is definitely room for improvement.

Adjusted for influx during the Texas State Fair: 3.5 million / 49 weeks per year = 71,428 visitors / week 19

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE TEAM MEMBERS

Bogdana Frunza ATLANTA: HEALTHCARE

Stephen Szutenbach ORLANDO: COMMERCIAL

Mary Ferrer DALLAS: HEALTHCARE

Edwin Croix TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY: ARCHITECTURE

espite its proximity to Dallasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; urban D core and its adjacency to residential neighborhoods, Fair Park functions in

isolation, and lacks constant connection to the surrounding environment. The park is used occasionally during concerts, sports events, and the annual State Fair; outside of these events its grounds remain mostly unused throughout the year. The border of the park acts as an opaque container, appearing inaccessible to both the habitual and the occasional user. THESIS: the border as a cell membrane: potential site for symbiosis The border is the key element in establishing a symbiotic relationship between the Park and the larger environment. Seen as a cell membrane, the border has the potential to promote, create, and maintain the exchange of flows [activities, humans, goods, money, energy, etc.] between the park and the city. STRATEGY: symbiosis through complementarity The border/cell membrane becomes a fertile ground for implanting seeds of specific activities that will initiate symbiosis. These activities will be in a relationship of complementarity with existing functions in the adjacent neighborhood [ex: a school situated in close proximity to the park will lead to

placing an after school activity node within the membrane]. MEMBRANE MORPHOLOGY: Points + Surfaces Within the membrane, activities are hosted by points [organizing systems that allow the vertical concentration of functions] and surfaces [organizing systems that allow the dispersal of functions at ground level]; as magnets of activities complementary to the neighborhood, the points and the surfaces begin to develop activities complementary to each other [ex: if one point hosts a bicycle rental activity, another point will host a bicycle repair shop].

The border is the key element in establishing a symbiotic relationship between the Park and the larger environment. 21

SYMBIOSIS CONTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D: future projections The 2036 State Fair Park Anniversary will be a testing ground for new strategies of densification of living and local production of energy and goods. Amidst the acute need for alternative energy, the points and the surfaces will be showcases for the new paradigm of urban living: inhabiting a dense eco-system. As the future unfolds and the symbiosis continues, the existing park buildings will develop into integrated systems of living and production. The park as a whole will become an eco-system, and a prototype for living in close connection to the larger environment. WRITTEN BY: Bogdana Frunza & Stephen Szutenbach

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE

con lack

the Fair Park appears inaccessible both for the habitual and for condition is maintained byborder the presence of fencing and bythis the the occasional users. the is an opaque container; lack of signage. condition is maintained by the presence of fencing and by the

EXISTING CONDITION lack of signage. EXISTING CONDITION EXISTING CONDITION PROPOSED CONDITION PROPOSED CONDITION

EXISTING CONDITION

PROPOSED CONDITION EXISTING CONDITION PROPOSED CONDITION

EXISTING CONDITION breaking the container: the CELL MEMBRANE asbreaking a cell membrane, the border has potential to promote, the container: thethe CELL MEMBRANE

create, and maintain the flows between the park as a cell membrane, the exchange border hasofthe potential to promote, and the environment. create, and maintain the exchange of flows between the park

bre

as a crea and bre as a crea and

EXISTING CONDITION and the environment.

EXISTING CONDITION

observation: OPAQUE CONTAINER CONDITION

the Fair Park appears inaccessible both for the habitual and for the occasional users. the border is an opaque container; this condition is maintained by the presence of fencing and by the lack of signage.

EXISTING CONDITION observation: OPAQUE CONTAINER CONDITION PROPOSED CONDITION the Fair Park appears inaccessible both for the habitual and for the occasional users. the border is an opaque container; this condition is maintained by the presence of fencing and by the

EXISTING CONDITION lack of signage. PROPOSED CONDITION

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE

observation: OPAQUE CONTAINER CONDITION

CEL

observation: OPAQUE CONTAINER CONDITION

the cell membrane is a potential site for symbiosis.

the

the all [or fun ac ne

MEMBRANE: surfaces and points

the membrane consists of surfaces [organizing systems that allow the dispersal of functions at ground level] and points CELL MEMBRANE [organizing systems that allow the vertical concentration of the cell membrane is a potential site for symbiosis. functions]. the points and the surfaces are magnets of activities/functions complementary to the immediate neighborhood.

CELL MEMBRANE

the cell membrane is a potential site for symbiosis.

CELL MEMBRANE

the cell membrane is a potential site for symbiosis.

CELL MEMBRANE

the cell membrane is a potential site for symbiosis.

SYMBIOSIS through COMPLEMENTARITY

by hosting functions complementary with the immediate surroundings, the membrane initiates a symbiotic relationship between the park and the neighborhood [ex: a school situated in close proximity to the park will lead to placing an after school activity node within the membrane].

SYMBIOSIS through COMPLEMENTARITY

MEMBRANE: surfaces and points

the membrane consists of surfaces [organizing systems that allow the dispersal of functions at ground level] and points [organizing systems that allow the vertical concentration of functions]. the points and the surfaces are magnets of activities/functions complementary to the immediate neighborhood.

MEMBRANE: surfaces and points

the the

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE

plaza skate boarding

pedestrian bridge

COMMUNIT

DART

URBAN INFILL

mass transit

parking

retail - commercial

Analytical Section. PRESENT

community m health clinic neighborhoo imax/theater exhibition

plaza skate boarding

pedestrian bridge

COMMUNIT

DART

URBAN INFILL

mass transit

PRESENT

retail - commercial

parking

community m health clinic neighborhood imax/theater exhibition

Analytical Section. PRESENT

pedestrian bridge

DART

NEAR FUTURE 28

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE

mass transit

urban farming (gardens)

urban farming (silos)

housing

FOOD NODE

TY NODE

meeting

od council

lagoon

FOOD NODE

TY NODE

meeting

d council

restaurant green house rafts vendors water/solar/wind internet

lagoon

restaurant green house rafts vendors water/solar/wind internet

UTILITY NODE

sky train bicycle drop-off food vendors medicine dispenser bathrooms water/solar/wind

UTILITY NODE

sky train bicycle drop-off food vendors medicine dispenser bathrooms water/solar/wind

housing

FOOD NODE

lagoon/wetlands

energy node restaurant green house housing on water

UTILITY NODE

energy node water/solar/wind geothermal

water collection pedestrian bridge

water collection

NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES DART

mass transit

FUTURE 30

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE

irrigation systems

community meeting health clinic neighborhood council exhibition

community amenities

ENERGY NODE

housing

wetlands

geothermal water/solar/wind internet

HOUSING

lagoon

SYMBIOTIC MEMBRANE

the “HUB” TEAM MEMBERS

Erick Katzenstein WASHINGTON D.C.: HEALTHCARE

Ramon Cavazos DALLAS: CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

Yan Lu TEXAS A&M UNIVERISTY: ARCHITECTURE

Todd Vin ATLANTA: HEALTHCARE

air Park holds many fond memories for F people across North Texas and beyond. The Texas State Fair brings to mind college

football, pig races, bizarre fried food and throngs of people. On the contrary on a warm, fall afternoon Fair Park was nearly desolate save the few workers dismantling the remnants of the State Fair signage and a few visitors outside the Museum of Nature and Science. Despite its status as one of the signature parks in the city of Dallas, the viability of Fair Park remains uncertain due to the lack of activity and the perception that it is either only a destination for special events or that as a park it unwelcoming or unsafe because of the location in South Dallas. Real or imagined these perceptions keep Fair Park from realizing its potential and foster an occasional use mindset only. We argue that in order to activate Fair Park and attract the suburban visitor outside of major events, the site must engage the social and cultural groups in the immediate environs thereby not only creating a group of habitual visitors but also a new hub of activity that is an integral part of the greater Dallas area. The ultimate goal is to foster two simultaneous types of visits to the park, the occasional and the habitual, but first we must address the dichotomy in the demographics between these potential visitors. The primary occasional user is one that is commuting from a neighboring city or suburb while the more habitual visitor is likely to be from the direct vicinity. Proximity to the park aside, the

neighborhoods in the area are among the lowest average income per household in the city of Dallas and beyond. Simply put Fair Park must rely more heavily on the occasional visitor with a higher disposable income to generate revenue while it is only the habitual visitor that can foster the culture and vibrancy needed to breathe new life into the park. It is more than striking a balance between these two types of visitors; there must exist a symbiosis wherein neither can sustain the park alone and both must work together. Towards that end a change is necessary in both programming and infrastructure so that Fair Park is a setting where this exchange can occur. One of the largest obstacles facing Fair Park is its size, isolation and organization (or lack thereof). To the occasional visitor it is a destination point, an island within an ocean of the uneventful. To the local resident it is a barrier one must navigate around to reach the other side. We posed ourselves the question: how does one make Fair Park a destination park that is a more integrated part of the community as well as a thoroughfare for the people who occupy the area on a daily basis? The answer lies in a hub and spoke model - breaking down the vast real estate of the park into a network of nodes and axes that is then woven into the larger urban fabric. This strategy requires first the identification and strengthening of the existing system of nodes, otherwise known as entrances and places of interest, as well as axes, or major pathways. 35

In order to assess the best opportunities for architectural interventions, a masterplan was developed based on the strengths of the current zoning as well as the potential for a more cohesive Fair Park. Two major alterations to the overall site plan begin to set up the direction of subsequent changes: first, redeveloping the parking lots to the south and east of the park thereby redefining the edge of the park and second, reorganizing the northeast quadrant of the park itself. The larger masterplan changes set up the opportunity to use an architectural language to accentuate the nodes, paths and central hub of the park network. Each entry is akin to the end of a spoke radiating from the Cotton Bowl connected by a system of pathways; however, there is no hierarchy, organization or clear way of moving people in, through or around the park. Our proposal is meant to provide this organization by reducing the number of and clearly identifying the entrances, renovating and adding human scale to the primary pathways between the entrances, and creating a new central focal point in the park to house a Visitor Center as well as a Community Center. To better understand the scope of these changes would be to describe how one might experience a visit to the new park. The visitor arrives at an entry gate that is marked and identifies with the zone of the park that is beyond (i.e. Museum Entry, Garden Entry, etc.). From the entry and extending into the park the primary pathways are treated in the same materials and flanked by landscape that rises and falls not 36

the HUB

only creating visual interest but also adding a sense of scale and layers. Along the path there are minor variations in treatment of the boundary of the path versus landscape that provide opportunities to sit, step up to a different level or secondary path, and even to gather â&#x20AC;&#x201C;moments of intimacy and human scale among the monumental architecture of the park. As the paths continue they converge south of the Cotton Bowl and at that crossing the landscape raises up to house a building bisected by the paths that is the home to the Visitor Center and Community Center. Here the paths of the occasional and habitual visitor cross and converge before being dispersed back into the park. Ultimately the purpose of the architecture is to highlight the nodes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the entries and crossing of paths, reinforce the axes or paths and ultimately define a new central hub so that the park becomes familiar, navigable and welcoming. The infrastructure provides the opportunity to have expanded programming and functionality all working in unison to rebrand and re-envision Fair Park for future generations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a new hub of activity for local and suburban visitors alike. WRITTEN BY: Ramon Cavazos

HUB HUB 38

the HUB

SPOKES SPOKES

SUBURBAN SUBURBAN

LOCAL LOCAL

the HUB

THE “STROLL” TEAM MEMBERS

Becky Luthman CHICAGO: HEALTHCARE INTERIORS

James Banda DALLAS: HEALTHCARE Clayton Holmes DALLAS: COMMERCIAL/HOSPITALITY

Bart Mangold SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

n 1936, Fair Park hosted The Texas I Centennial Exposition. The Exposition was credited with keeping Dallas’ economical

head above water during the Great Depression. Fair Park also benefited from the exposition with the addition of over 50 buildings. These buildings have evolved over time, becoming the most concentrated collection of Art Deco Architecture anywhere. Even so, the pageant days for Fair Park have slowly diminished over the years, falling victim to poor city planning and proper attention. Currently Fair Park is best known in the area for the annual State Fair which brings in over 2 million visitors over one month. During the remainder of the year the vast Park appears desolate. Despite resting only one mile from the CBD of Dallas TX, Fair Park has a reputation of being an unsafe, isolated and segregated site. Although considered one of Dallas’ signature parks, Fair Park lacks any significant recreational green space that one usually associates with a Park. Without the State Fair, the park lacks a cohesive identity and organization, with its dispersed footprint and large surface parking edges that only accommodates the big event. Fair Park has become an occasional use site, failing to fully engage its two primary audiences: local residents looking for regular access to a neighborhood hub, and regional visitors looking for an inviting, innovative destination unique to North Texas.

Overall Goals: 1) Create a signature public park (World Expo 2036?) 2) New appreciation for the park and historical buildings 3) Change perception of safety in the park 4) Improve access and provide cohesive identity 5) Encourage connection to city and surrounding neighborhoods 6) Create greater opportunities for larger events Our strategy was to enhance current activities on the site and introduce new activities on three scales (global, regional, and local) by providing an iconic global identity, weaving the park into regional public infrastructure and by creating a comfortable, accessible space for the community to gather. Our solution introduces a physical element to the park that provides an organizational ring called the Fair Park “Stroll”. Physically the Stroll is an elevated park which creates a new overall park experience, connecting the entire park, while maintaining the current circulation 47

below that works well with the State Fair. The Fair Park Stroll is an organic element that responds to those human demands as it weaves the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing fabric. It is a multilayered experience that serves as functional infrastructure, program space, and as a platform for casual social interaction between both occasional and habitual users. The design works with the existing infrastructure of Fair Park to enhance its already historical features. Current landmarks within the park are used as driving forces to help shape the integrated ring. The physical aspect of the elevated element provides the much needed identifiable gathering space that is normally associated with a city park. The programmed spaces are relevant to the immediate demographic or what would become the habitual user. While integrated program spaces provide for the habitual users, the newfound experience of the elevated park with the historical backdrop provides a destination for the occasional user. Visitors are able to enjoy Fair Park from a new vantage point while establishing a new appreciation and shedding new light on the historical content. The Stroll acts as an organizational tool guiding visitors through the park, and separating them from the tangled paths that currently exist. Users are able to connect to the Fair Park functions at vertical circulation nodes located at key landmarks along the 48

THE STROLL

elevated path. Throughout the elevated park a visitor will encounter several conditions. These conditions range from a bridge-like structure to elevated areas along berms. The unique nature of these conditions provides an experience for all to enjoy. A key goal of the Stroll is to activate both the habitual and occasional user creating a dynamic experience. This element will provide a cohesive identity for Fair Park while creating a new-found appreciation for the historic park from a new perspective. The Fair Park Stroll will bring energy that reinvigorates the park into a profitable yearround destination. WRITTEN BY: Becky Luthman & James Banda

VISITORS ARE ABLE TO ENJOY FAIR PARK FROM A NEW VANTAGE POINT... SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON THE HISTORICAL CONTENT.

EXISTING CIRCULATION

Fair Park lacks a consistent circulation pattern making it difficult to maneuver.

CLEAR CIRCULATION RING

A multi-layered experience serving as: -functional infrastructure -program space -a platform for social interaction between both the occasional and habitual users.

INTEGRATED RING

Applied to connect Fair Park landmarks.

THE STROLL

CENTER OF ACTIVITY: COTTON BOWL

THE STROLL

NEW PERSPECTIVE ON HISTORY: ESPLANADE

ROLLING RETAIL EDGE: ROBERT B. CULLUM BLVD.

THE STROLL

THE FUTURE After an intense three days of hard work the fellows presented their solutions to members of the Dallas Park & Recreation Department as well as Friends of Fair Park. Comments came from jurors as well as audience members as nearly everyone in the room could recall and reflect on his or her own experience of visiting Fair Park. What followed was a very thoughtful discussion not just about each individual solution but the common themes and ideas that could be translated to actual interventions in both the short term and long term. With new operations and construction already in the works, the representatives were eager to hear what other

types of ideas could be implemented to make those projects more successful and plan future projects with these ideas in mind. It was an enlightening process for all individuals involved - the fellows got to step outside their day to day roles to think critically about a different kind of project that also happens to be a historical landmark and the representatives of Fair Park were presented with some new ideas that pushed the thought process outside of a daily management role and into a bigger picture. That bigger picture is by no means a stretch of the imagination; it is simply guiding Fair Park back to its place of prominence and an integral park of activity in the City of Dallas.

A ve r y s p e c i a l t h a n k yo u t o a l l of our jurors CRAIG HOLCOMB PRESIDENT, FRIENDS OF FAIR PARK

WILLIS WINTERS, FAIA

PAUL DYER

DANIEL HUERTA

DIRECTOR, CITY OF DALLAS PARK AND REC.

EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER, CITY OF DALLAS PARK AND REC.

MARK JARRELL SENIOR PARK MANAGER, CITY OF DALLAS PARK AND REC.

LOUISE ELAM

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CITY OF DALLAS PARK AND REC.

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, CITY OF DALLAS PARK AND REC.

THE FIRM BEHIND THE FELLOWSHIP Architecture reflects our time and culture as well as shapes it. It is our essential humanity that moves us to do good, creating places that facilitate activity and bring joy to the human spirit. HKS is creating spaces that enhance the human experience. We are one. We believe that the value of talent, experience and knowledge is multiplied when shared. HKS is a worldwide network of professionals, strategically located and working seamlessly as one firm. We put together the best teams from around the globe to deliver exceptional value to our clients. Our individual expertise includes design, research and management. Our vision is to be a global leader in professional design services, bringing value to clients through innovation while being committed to excellence, sustainability and sound business principles.