Dallas Apartment

“There’s a real yin and yang experience of Dallas in this apartment – the big open, prospect view of the city is balanced with intimate rooms and passageways towards the inside of the floorplate.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA

Perched high above downtown Dallas, this 8,870-square-foot apartment frames expansive urban views in all four directions. Occupying the eighteenth floor of the Museum Tower building, intimate rooms and corridors in the center of the oval-shaped apartment radiate out to open spaces and views on the perimeter. The space functions as a private urban refuge for the couple who live there, as well as a gathering place for their extended family and friends. Custom blackened steel furniture, hardware and lighting from the Tom Kundig Collection complete the industrial aesthetic of the architecture.

“An exciting challenge for me was bringing the tectonic spirit of my work to this sophisticated, refined residence in an urban center.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal

Organized around a central service core and two parallel circulation corridors, the apartment has two entrances on either end of the oval floorplan with dual elevator bays – one opening to a vestibule with custom corner doors, and the other with an interlocking, two-part puzzle door. Four bedrooms run adjacent to the corridors, with the master suite on the long north side of the apartment and three guest rooms to the south. An open living, dining and kitchen area are contained in the west end of the plan, along with a sitting room. Here, a blackened steel wall raises into the ceiling via a hand-cranked wheel to reveal a red-accented, jewel-box bar. The high-gloss red wall continues into the neighboring powder room and hall, in contrast to the otherwise dark interior. The east end of the apartment contains a study and kitchenette for entertaining, along with an office.

Twelve-foot high ceilings in the common areas are made more intimate with overhead corrugated metal “clouds” defining each space, along with five custom-designed, blackened steel adjustable “spoon lights.” Walnut casework, dark bronze window mullions and black terrazzo floors create an interior refuge against the exposure of full-surround window walls.

“In this apartment, the expansive windows created an ideal situation where we could balance prospect and refuge.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal

Project Team: Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal; Megan Zimmerman, LEED® AP BD+C, Project Architect

Key Consultants: Construction Zone International, General Contractor; GDA Architects, Shell/Core Architect; L.A. Fuess Partners, Structural Engineer; Blum Consulting Engineers, MEP Engineer; Studio Lumina, Lighting Design; Emily Summers Design Associates, Interior Design; Sparling/Stantec, Acoustic Engineer; KB Architectural Services Inc., Kinetic Consultants; Facility Performance Associates, Green-Building Code Consultant.

Photos: Nic Lehoux, Aaron Leitz