In an effort to expand their mission and public programs, the Dallas Holocaust Museum organized a competition for conceptual design. Partnering with Overland Partners of San Antonio, CJS was a finalist in this three-phase intensive study.
Located in Dallas’s downtown warehouse district, the proposed museum’s distinctive massing serves as a counterpoint to the adjacent brick buildings. Simple in its geometry, the tower rises on the northern edge of the site from a single story plinth. With its retention of the street edge, the building is both urbane and monumental. Sheared in section, the façade is a composition of white marble and translucent glass channel. Inside the base, a large, circular courtyard with a rippling pool provides a setting for groups and individuals to have meaningful discourse.
The museum asked for a design that adhered to their content in a very specific way, with the emphasis on a linear promenade leading to an area of contemplation. The program consists of 55,000SF of interior space, including permanent and children’s exhibitions, a library, theater, and additional support areas composing a full-service museum.