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The National is a 52-story,
skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
in the Main Street district of
downtown Dallas Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has tradit ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, adjacent to the
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In , the system had a ...
(DART)
Akard Station Akard station or Akard Street station is a DART Light Rail station in Dallas, Texas. It is located in the City Center District, Dallas, Texas, City Center District on Pacific Avenue, between Akard and Field Streets. It opened on June 14, 1996, a ...
. It is the tenth tallest building in the city. In January 2010 the building was closed due to low occupancy rates. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2017. In 2020, it reopened, after the most costly building conversion in Dallas' history, totaling $460 million. It contains The luxury Thompson Dallas Hotel, 324 apartments, 37,000 sq ft of office space and 43,000 sq ft of retail space.


History

The $35 million skyscraper was designed for the First National Bank in Dallas by architects
George Dahl George Leighton Dahl (May 11, 1894 – July 18, 1987) was a prominent American architect based in Dallas, Texas during the 20th century. His most notable contributions include the Art Deco structures of Fair Park while he oversaw planning and con ...
and
Thomas E. Stanley Thomas Edward Stanley II (May 1, 1917 in North Carolina – January 23, 2001 in Dallas, Texas) was a Dallas-based United States, American architect. He is known for his modernist glass and steel designs for buildings such as 211 North Ervay (19 ...
, built to replace First National's home on Main Street. It originally was proposed to be higher, but was scaled back after determining it would be a hazard to flights leaving
Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 10, 2008 It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) opened. Love Field covers an area of a ...
. By choosing a site with lower elevation, the tower, even with a modified height, was still taller than rival bank's
Republic Center Republic Center is a mixed-use complex at 300 N. Ervay Street and 325 N. St. Paul Street in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), adjacent to Thanks-giving Square. The complex is located diagonally across the street from DAR ...
. The block of land previously contained First National's motor bank, which was demolished for the new structure. The exterior, featuring a dark and light contrasting theme, was clad in more than of dark gray glass and white marble imported from Greece. The building's construction began in 1961 and used more than 25,000 tons of steel. At the time of opening in 1965, it was the tallest building west of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
, until surpassed by
555 California Street 555 California Street, formerly Bank of America Center, is a 52-story skyscraper in San Francisco, California. It is the fourth tallest building in the city as of February 2021, and in 2013 was the largest by floor area. Completed in 1969, the ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in 1969. It was the tallest in Texas until 1971, when
One Shell Plaza One Shell Plaza (OSP) is a 50-story, skyscraper at 910 Louisiana Street in Downtown Houston, Texas. Perched atop the building is an antenna that brings the overall height of the building to . At its completion in 1971, the tower was the tallest ...
was built in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
. In 1974, Renaissance Tower became the tallest in Dallas. The tower that rises out of this base was placed off center and is a modified hexagon, with four of the sides only slightly angled nd walls are wide with a midpoint width of Floors 11-49 were general lease space not used by First National Bank. The white columns running up the tower contain Plexiglas mullions that house fluorescent lights, which were once turned on every night. The Observation Terrace on the 50th floor contained the world's highest escalator from the 49th floor. At ground level the building features a long pedestrian arcade flanked by retail space connected Elm Street and Pacific Street, and the building was later connected to the
Dallas Pedestrian Network The Dallas Pedestrian Network or Dallas Pedway is a system of grade-separated walkways covering thirty-six city blocks of Downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The system connects buildings, garages and parks through tunnels and above-ground sky ...
when the adjacent Renaissance Tower was opened in 1974. An 800-space garage was located on the lower two levels, and was the largest single parking facility in Dallas at the time. During following years the bank continued to grow and under InterFirst Corp. built Renaissance Tower and Bank of America Plaza. After a series of mergers it became part of
Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank w ...
, and as most banking operations vacated the structure the name was changed to Elm Place. Under a special agreement, the bank owned the bottom 10 floors, while the lobby and upper 42 floors had a separate owner. The lower floors of the building were foreclosed on in early 2009; the tower portion of the building closed in late January 2010 due to low occupancy rates. In May 2010 the building was put up for sale for $19 million. In 2020, it reopened, after the most costly building conversion in Dallas' history, totaling $460 million. It contains The luxury Thompson Dallas Hotel, 324 apartments, 37,000 sq ft of office space and 43,000 sq ft of retail space.


Banking facilities

The building's eight story base, which contained the banking and operational function for First National Bank, covered the entire block and featured a continuous set of marble arches on all sides of the building. The lower five floors of the base were recessed to provide large walkways around the building. The floors above the arches (6,7 and 8) do not have any windows and are covered in marble. The main banking floor, located on the 4th floor, was 2 stories in height and contained the vaults and 50 teller stations. Two motor banks served customers: a "walk-up" bank on Elm Street for pedestrians and a "drive-in" bank on Pacific Street. The second floor contained the "Money Tree", a mural designed by Alma Shon made of 8,500 coins and carved wood."Money Tree Designer is Honoree for Tea". ''The Dallas Morning News''. March 25, 1954. The ninth floor, the first floor of the tower, housed the bank's top executives, lounge areas and executive dining room. It was surrounded by an extensive rooftop garden, heavily landscaped and filled with sculptures and fountains. The 8th floor contained the Dallas Room, a 300-seat auditorium, and the bank employees' cafeteria.


Gallery

File:Dallas Elm Place Renaissance Tower.jpg File:ElmPlaceConstruction01.jpg File:ElmPlaceConstruction02.jpg


See also

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Texas This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Texas. This is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Dallas County, Texas. There are ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Dallas File:View of Dallas from Reunion Tower August 2015 05.jpg, 350px, Skyline of Dallas (use cursor to identify buildings) poly 2376 388 2608 372 2784 432 2788 596 2836 616 2844 2604 2668 2644 2544 2668 2420 2704 2420 2740 2310 2720 2310 640 2352 64 ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Texas This list of tallest buildings in Texas ranks skyscrapers in the U.S. state of Texas by height. The tallest structure in the state, excluding radio towers, is the JP Morgan Chase Tower, in Houston, which contains 75 floors and is tall. The sec ...


References


External links


The National official websiteThe National Residences official websiteThompson Dallas Hotel official websiteThe National official corporate website
* {{Portal bar, National Register of Historic Places, Texas Office buildings completed in 1965 Skyscraper office buildings in Dallas National Register of Historic Places in Dallas Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas