modern.dallas | issue 49 // september 2023

A Place To Worship: Trinity Dallas’ Highland Park Campus

by J. Claiborne Bowdon

A house of worship is a daunting project for any firm or person to take on. Its significance in the lives of its congregants, and the community at large, is no small thing. It’s a structure touched by the divine. Its materials, and even the air within, are consecrated if not by ritual then by the spirit brought to it in the thoughts, words, and feelings of all those who gather within. The structures themselves are largely formed through the traditions of the religions prac-

ticed within them, and tradition guides so much of what we expect from religion itself because it maintains the link to its beginnings. The tradition and the buildings are, by extension, a link to the divine.

However, while practices and rites often remain the same, architecture has always been the method that religions have taken on to push beyond tradition and to create

something that inspires awe and wonder. Each ancient religious structure throughout time was once the best available method of architecture of its time. Modern architecture is no exception, but even modern can find itself out of step with current tastes and less than impressive. This was the conundrum that Trinity Dallas, a non-denominational Christian church founded in 1995, found itself in when they acquired a new campus in Highland Park. The campus had been an Episcopalian church that was built in the 1960’s, and it was largely a time capsule that felt

stale and dated. It was not the dynamic space that Trinity Dallas hoped it would become.

The building needed a renovation, and Trinity Dallas contracted local firm DSGN Associates to help give the space a new life. Beth Brant, Associate Principal, Architect, and Director of Sustainability with the firm, noted that “(The campus) had not been changed at all. It had some renovations in the fellowship hall that looked kind of from the Eighties, but most of it was exactly as it was in the Sixties.”

The solution was simple, the building had been modern at one time, so the renovation would focus on highlighting what made it a modern. “In the main sanctuary everything all the wood that you see-was stained avocado green, so we had that stain removed and went back with a white pickled finish. It’s kind of like a white stain, and we did one coat of that. Everything else in the sanctuary was kind of dark. It was the dark avocado green, dark beiges, so we painted everything white to brighten up the space, and

then we added the vertical acoustical flat fins all along underneath the soffits on the sides of the sanctuary.”

The pews, chairs, and baptismal font are all original, and each received some light refurbishment to bring them into a more contemporary context, but the long rays-of-lightshaped light fixtures extending from the ceiling were added to help further update the space. The altar section at the head of the church is a very simple wall of brick, which

made it easy to update. “It was originally a beige brick, and (the clients) really wanted it to be a different color and they wanted to paint it with a latex, but we encouraged them to look at a mineral-based paint, which is more like a stain. The mineral-based paint we picked is used on historic buildings and allows the building to breathe.” The new color, and the addition of a large projection screen at the center, make this focal point of each Sunday have a more modern feel with effortlessly versatile function.

The organ positioned in the choir loft above the back of the sanctuary is original to the building as well, but Brant pointed out that the organ actually predates the building. “It came from overseas and is a very unique organ. The man who played the organ when the church was first built still comes over and plays it.” Joining the organ in the loft is a large crucifix sculpture that was a part of the church when it was Episcopalian. It was moved from its original position to maintain the non-denominational focus of the

space, but is still easily viewed upon exiting the sanctuary. On the outside of the sanctuary the original brick color was left on the exposed ends, but the roof was replaced with a new metal, which gives the building a much sleeker, symmetrical appearance.

Brant said that DSGN Associates’ thought process and Trinity Dallas’ hopes for the structure were to “really to open it up, both visually and lighten it up aesthetically, so that people from the neighborhood would feel welcome to come in.” Glass was put in along the Douglas Avenue

facing side of the building to help give it a more open feel. A café was added to the fellowship hall so that there’s plenty of time prior to services for everyone to come together and be together. Perhaps the most modern addition to the campus is the dog park, which is always open

to everyone in the neighborhood. “They have things going on all the time. The main goal of the church is just to bring in and invite the neighbors and make this more of a community space, both in feel and in function.”

// dsgn associates

Paul Winker & Jan van der Ploeg

at Cris Worley Fine Art

by Todd Camplin

Cris Worley Fine Arts presents a superb pairing of artists Jan van der Ploeg and Paul Winker. This show is a beautiful conversation between the two that complements and contrasts. A conversation between a local artist and a European artist. A debate between Post-Minimal and Abstraction. A presentation of scale comparisons. A collection of contrasting colors.

Ploeg’s works are hard-edge paintings. A few of his paintings have hints of glitches. Ploeg carried over some small works from Amsterdam and then painted two works on the gallery walls. These large paintings remind me of bar graphs. One untitled work has a high-keyed orange color. The other bar graph-like work in black. Both are on white walls, yet these minimal works fill the room with their pres-

// (l) paul winker, untitled (cereal box), 2023 acrylic on canvas 74h x 51w in // (r) paul winker, untitled (for glenda), 2023 acrylic on canvas 79h x 58w in

ence. These works are weighty and can easily slip into political or a social meaning if you have that baggage.

Paul Winker is a Dallas artist who also creates hardedge paintings. However, Winker is more concerned with studying the physical objects around him and creating abstract works from his observations. His paintings simplify, zoom in, or zoom out on things. Unlike

the early Modernist abstract artists, Winker is not concerned with the spiritual, but rather the material world. Winker chose to represent the commonly unnoticed or small objects. Winker takes his observations and translates them through scale. Because of his use of scaling up, the images become abstract. In contrast, Winker’s 2020 exhibition was less about the material and more about myth depicted through simple shape and color.

jan van der ploeg, wall painting, no.540 untitled, 2023 acrylic on wall 165.25h x 383.75w in

// paul winker, Untitled (fabric scrap), 2023 acrylic on canvas 70h x 56w in

Ploeg is investigating the elements of art. Line, shape, color, and space are Ploeg’s concerns. He is exploring paint through this lens of simplicity. Many of his works use high contrast of colors to make bold images. Ploeg’s paintings look similar to the screen printing process which can create clean shapes of color. Ploeg, like Andy Warhol, created clean images, yet Warhol made blurred effects

because he didn’t clean his screen. Ploeg simulates this blur effect in a few of his paintings. This process gives the works visual interest. Maybe Ploeg is implying that not everything is perfect. With all the “untitled” artworks, the viewer can impose meaning on the artworks. I think that is the point of leaving the paintings “untitled.”

TOUR of HOMES

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An architecturally curated tour of homes, beautifully designed.

Weekend admission and VIP passes on sale now. Purchase your tickets at hometourdallas.com

Paul Winker’s painting “Staying in Bed,” is a simple two-color work on a sixty-five-inch by fifty-five-inch canvas. The dark green lines imply the wrinkles in the fabric of a bed. The lime green outer edge of the canvas is a nice touch. The painted edge makes the canvas into an object, while Winker also depicts an object. Winker leaves artworks “untitled” but gives away his thought processes in parenthesis. In “Untitled (rock crab),” the viewer as-

sumes Winker has painted a close-up of a rock crab shell. This painting of a burgundy background with light yellow shapes littered across the surface looks like a naturally occurring image found under a microscope. Yet the colors hit you with high contrast, similar to Ploeg’s work.

Worley and her team curated a show with bold colors and images that keep you moving back and forth from

// installation view jan van der ploeg

painting to painting. Jan van der Ploeg and Paul Winker were a strong pairing. Their exhibition illustrated that Dallas and European art are in sync.

Ploeg and Winker demonstrate how a conversation between artists so far from each other can happen. A real zeitgeist is expressed in this show. The show has one last weekend for you to enjoy. Jan van der Ploeg and Paul Winker’s exhibition will conclude on the 30th of September.

The Dallas Architecture Forum is for everyone who wants to experience inspired design. The Forum presents an award-winning Lecture Series that brings outstanding architects,interior designers, landscape architects and urban planners from around the world, as well as Symposia, Receptions at architecturally significant residences, and Panel Discussions on issues impacting North Texas.

studio

photo: jennifer mcneil baker

The 17th Annual AIA Dallas Tour of Homes, presented by eggersmann Kitchens & Home Living, returns Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29.

Dallas’ only citywide home tour curated by architects celebrates the beauty and diversity of residential architecture across North Texas. This year’s tour features six

homes, including two in East Dallas, one in Highland Park, two in Preston Hollow, and one in Far North Dallas least served with love and concern. This year’s collection of homes features the latest in contemporary style. The tour also showcases how architects help clients overcome design challenges with beautiful solutions – from a renovation and expansion of a 1920s Craftsman home in

// patrick drive | maestri studio - photo: jennifer mcneil baker

the Junius Heights Historic District to fit a family of four, to rebuilding from the ground up a much-loved Preston Hollow home, to accommodating dual goals of being able to age in place and entertain grandchildren and guests.

Event co-chairs Andrew Meckfessel, AIA, NCARB and Andrew Stiglmeier, AIA, RID are looking forward to showcasing this year’s slate of homes designed by local architects.

// grassmere lane | janson luter architects - charles davis smith, faia

// grassmere lane | janson luter architects - photo: charles davis smith, faia

“We are excited as always to share stunning home designs by Dallas-based architects at this Tour of Homes, but we are especially happy to see some up-and-coming architects’ work on this year’s tour,” said Meckfessel. Stiglmeier added, “This year’s submissions really stood out to the selection committee as excellent examples of residential architecture that addressed a wide variety of needs, style preferences, scale, and budget.”

The self-guided, in-person tour is Saturday, October 28 and Sunday, October 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Tickets are on sale at www.hometourdallas.com. Tickets are $50 if purchased before Monday, October 23. Starting the week of the tour, on Monday, October 23, ticket prices will increase to $60.

// bobbitt drive | amdg studio - photo credit dan finnell

// bent trail | marc mccollom architect photo: charles davis smith, faia

// norway road | malone maxwell dennehy architects - jud haggard photography

The separately ticketed Premiere Party event held before the tour will be on Thursday, October 26 at a home not on the general admission tour. Tickets, which also go on sale Thursday, August 10, are $125 and include live music, passed hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, conversations with the tour architects, plus a ticket to self-guided weekend tour.

This year’s exclusive Premiere Party home is in North

Architecture firms with work on this year’s Tour are AMDG Studio; Janson Luter Architects; Maestri Studio; Malone Maxwell Dennehy Architects; Marc McCollom Architect, and Veux Deux Design.

//

Dallas, designed by Michael Malone, FAIA of Malone Maxwell Dennehy Architects.

hometourdallas

// dumont | veuxdeux design - homesnappers

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