Reviving an Icon: A new vision for the cultural heart of Dallas

As one of the nation’s most significant Art Deco landmarks, Fair Park stands as both a historic treasure and a living canvas for renewal. Encompassing 277 acres in the heart of South Dallas, the site’s transformation reimagines its legacy for a new era, balancing preservation, performance, and community vitality.

Our team is leading comprehensive planning and design studies to modernize and adapt more than 450,000 square feet of exhibition halls, venues, and cultural spaces — including the storied Cotton Bowl Stadium and Fair Park Coliseum. Working in collaboration with a network of accomplished local and national experts in architecture, engineering, historic preservation, and the arts, the effort seeks to restore Fair Park’s architectural integrity while redefining its role as a catalyst for civic life, creativity and connection.

*Work completed by principals and staff while at Overland Partners.

“Recapturing visitor revenue for local use is the greatest opportunity to elevate these unique facilities inside Fair Park, which will amount to the largest single investment in the future of Fair Park for the citizens of Dallas. The resulting improvements to facilities such as the Band Shell, Coliseum, Cotton Bowl Stadium, and Exhibition Halls will bring those facilities into the 21st century and make them attractive for increased year-round use now and well into the future.”

— Darren L. James, FAIA, Fair Park First Chairman of the Board

Client: Fair Park First

Size: 277 Acres | 450,000 Square Feet of Buildings

Location: Dallas, Texas, USA