Douglas Newby Insights - Page 3
The Cradle of Dallas Architecture
Swiss Avenue is the cradle of Dallas architecture and architecturally significant homes. Hal Thomson is the godfather of Dallas architects. Henry B. Thomson (Hal Thomson), a society architect, after he took a grand tour of Europe, made his mark on Swiss Avenue. The Aldredge house and this Georgian style home at 5323 Swiss Avenue that I just sold, quickly comes to mind when one thinks of Hal Thomson. Just look at the detailing on the brackets under the soffits and on the fascia. The detail here is more elaborate and intricate than what is found on most fireplace mantels.
Twenty-five years ago, I sold this home for the Fraser family that had owned it for 50 years. The property had been maintained but otherwise untouched, accentuating the genius of architect Hal Thomson. After that sale, the home was remodeled, but fell into a state of disrepair. The next owner rescued it, preparing it for my friends and fabulous clients, Elise and John Willding, to purchase and continue to restore and refine the home.
The homes on Swiss Avenue continue to be improved, and the importance of these homes become even more pronounced as homes by Hal Thomson, Fooshee and Cheek, Lang and Witchell, and others continue to be torn down in Highland Park. Congratulations to John and Elise for acquiring one of the best houses on Swiss Avenue and one of the most significant homes in Dallas. Many thanks for their appreciation of historic and architecturally significant homes. Scroll through to see additional photographs of this home. *The Cradle of Dallas Architecture
#SwissAvenue #HistoricHomes #DallasArchitecture #ArchitecturallySignificantHomes #HalThomson #DallasArchitects #SocietyArchitect #AldredgeHouse #5323SwissAvenue
#GeorgianStyle #HighlandPark #JohnWillding @johnwillding #EliseWillding
High-Low
High-Low style, fashion, and interior design can be quite pleasing. I find the State Fair of Texas to be an example of High-Low culture being pleasing. The State Fair is held at Fair Park, which is almost an art gallery of architecturally significant buildings spread through the park. These buildings were designed by the best Dallas architects from the first half of the 20th century. They included architect Mark Lemmon, architect John Danna, and architect George Dahl. These architects also designed architecturally significant homes in Dallas that I have sold. The State Fair also provides what some might consider low culture, like country music, fair food, fireworks, amusement rides, midway games and the parade. Since my fourth grade 40-page handwritten report on fairs, I have always been fascinated by fairs of all types. The Texas State Fair has special appeal, I think, because it is not just in a convention hall or on sawdust covered grounds, but it is placed in a very elegant park of architecturally significant structures. On opening day and evening, the fair goers and fair workers share high spirits. The fairgrounds are fresh and clean, not too crowded, and there is a flow of contagious excitement and joy. I have included a couple of parade pictures just to remind me of the carefree fun that emanates from the State Fair of Texas. *High-Low
#StateFairofTexas #Fair #Dallas #StateFair #Architecture #Architect #ArchitectMarkLemmon #ArchitectJohnDanna #ArchiectGeorgeDahl #ArchitecturallySignificant #Fairgrounds #Parade #CountryMusic #statefairoftx
Building Dallas
John Sebastian is an architect who took his father’s, George Sebastian, construction firm to new heights. Award-winning architects carefully curate and often wait in line for the best builders that are capable of adhering to their innovative engineering and design of the architecturally significant residences they create. Dallas is fortunate to have many exemplary builders who keep becoming more capable with each challenging project. The Sebastian Construction Group is responsible for building many of the elegant eclectic and modern homes by Dallas, national and international architects. While many cities boast enormous homes of almost garish proportions, Dallas has internationally recognized homes that are dramatic and nuanced. The eclectic homes Sebastian builds recall artistry and scale sometimes we think has been left behind. The modern homes Sebastian builds provoke our imagination as forms are created that only contemporary materials, engineering and an extraordinary architect and builder can produce. Dallas is a great city of contributors which include John Sebastian and the Sebastian Construction Group.
*Building Dallas
@sebastianconstructiongroup #sebastianconstructiongroup #architect #architecture #DallasNeighborhoods #DallasContractor #DallasBuilder #DallasConstruction #ArchitecturallySignificantHomes #Sebastian75Anniversary
DMA Renovating Architect
On August 31 in 1813 during the Napoleonic wars, the city of San Sebastian was burned to the ground. 31 de Agosto is a San Sebastian celebration that includes military reenactments followed by the one street not burned down filled with candle-holding celebrants of the city being rebuilt. I love festivals and parades in any size village or city. When I was attending this August 31 celebration in San Sebastian (by scrolling you can see part of the activities), I walked by the San Telmo Museoa in the heart of Old Town and recalled that the renovation and addition of this Basque art history and cultural museum was designed by architecture firm Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos which emphasized its connection with society. This Madrid based architectural firm was also recently selected for the renovation and modern addition to the Dallas Museum of Art. Both the DMA and San Telmo Museoa are located in the most walkable vibrant part of both cities. The emphasis in both Dallas and San Sebastian is to better connect the museum with society.
It is also interesting that Eduardo Chillida is a Basque artist that did the sculpture in front of the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center. I posted on Instagram August 28, 2019, about the sculpture and the correspondence between Margaret McDermott and Eduardo Chillida. Dallas public architecture and art continue to have a pronounced Spanish influence. *DMA Renovating Architect
@santelmomuseoa #santelmomuseoa @dallasmuseumart #dallasmuseumart #SanSebastian #31deagosto #DallasNeighborhood #DallasArtsDistrict #SanSebastianOldTown @nietosobejano #nietosobejano #DMARenovation #DallasArchitect #DallasArchitecture #ArtMuseum #Architect
Summer Tribute
The only movie I saw this summer was – Mission Impossible – at my Dallas neighborhood theater. It happened that I went on the week that a couple of popular movies opened. Upon leaving the theater, I saw a photo box and I couldn’t resist throwing my hat into the ring and adding additional summer tribute to this 2023 cultural phenomenon. *Summer Tribute
#Barbie #Dallas #DallasNeighborhood #Film
Basque Country
Architecture, the sea, history, culture and good food makes for my favorite holidays. The Pyrenees as a backdrop adds to the wonderful aesthetic. Just 20 or 30 minutes between the glitz of Biarritz and the city prominence of San Sebastian, this area could be considered a working fishing village, with the friendliness of Dallas neighborhoods that I enjoy. While I don’t spend time on boats, I love watching from my balcony fishing boats coming in and out of the sea. It is fun to know the chef/owner of Le Kaiku, a one-star Michelin restaurant that I go to every evening, is procuring some of the daily catch for every dinner. By scrolling you will see a couple of photographs of the 600-year-old stone building the restaurant occupies. It has been serving food here from the beginning, but the dinners have improved from the early prison food served during the building’s original use, not far from the seawall. From a similar aged original Basque home, I can see from my balcony the sea just 100 feet away, and survey the condition of the water before the sun comes up for my long morning swim in the Bay of Biscay. While I occasionally see Jean Paul Gaultier walking on the seawall and friends from France, the only other familiar faces are those that every year sweetly provide for all my needs at the bike shop, market, restaurant, wine shop and other shops.
Here is a civilized place without pretension where I can enjoy swimming, biking, reading on the beach, good food and visiting historical places and cultural sites without it feeling like a forced march. I always find it interesting how many different approaches people take when they are traveling. Basque Country, for me, has a nice cadence and rhythm. *Basque Country
@le_kaiku #lekaiku #StJeanDeLuz #Ciboure #BasqueCountry #BayofBiscay #Neighborhood #FrenchTown
Factory Art
Warehouse and factory conversions and adapted use have been popular the last 40 years for residences, galleries, shops and other uses, but often they lost their architectural edge and sense of intent. The Brant Foundation has taken the original Con-Edison substation building at 421 East 6th Street, originally providing power for much of New York, and converted it to an art exhibition space. I love that the building maintains its industrial edge, including the street front facade adjacent to graffiti adorned buildings. It also has interior windows framing downtown neighborhood-scapes. Each floor beautifully displays art from a different aesthetic platform. One floor has soaring ceilings and original ironworks, another floor has massive beams that remind me of an oversized Frank Welch designed living room, another floor is clean, warm and polished with wood floors and ceilings and a delightful skylight. This exhibition – Thirty Are Better Than One – displays over 100 Andy Warhol artworks. On November 1st a show opens here – Basquiat X Warhol – that will display some of the 160 canvases Basquiat and Warhol collaborated on at Andy Warhol’s factory. While many factory and warehouse conversions are sanitized and reflect little of the building, this Con-Ed building conveys architectural energy and texture that is perfect to show Andy Warhol and Basquiat artwork.
This space also made me think of photographer Chet Morrison and his wife Patty’s Cotton Gin building they used as a residence, studio and gallery in Deep Ellum. In the mid-1980s, the Dallas Mayor presented them The Dallas Restoration House of the Year Award. The selection committee chose it because of the impact on Deep Ellum and because it reflected the original architecture and was gracefully adapted for a space in which to live, work and display art.
*Factory Art
#NewYork @thebrantfoundation #brantfoundation #EastVillage #ArtExhibit #ArtExhibition #Basquiat #Warhol #DeepEllum #Neighborhood #Architecture #Historic #factoryconversion
#warehouseconversion #renovation
Face of New York
I always think of Nelly Moudime, the Maitre d’ of The Polo Bar as the face of New York. A former model, the daughter of an African diplomat, Nelly is a stunning woman who fills a room with energy and grace. She effortlessly greets the most famous, richest, successful, and glamorous people in the world with the same ease she greets new guests at The Polo Bar. The Polo Bar is somewhere I go every time I am in New York. It reminds me of Highland Park Village and Cafe Pacific. I first met Ralph Lauren and his brother, Jerry, when my sales associate, Doug Bihlmaier, introduced me at the Highland Park Ralph Lauren store not long after it opened in the 1970s. I recall, with Doug’s encouragement, I wore a tie from one of Ralph’s first tie collections that I bought to bring to SMU my freshman year. Ralph loved it. Doug went on to work closely with Ralph Lauren in New York. I have met Ralph Lauren since, at The Polo Bar once when he was with his Telluride neighbor Ken Burns. I mention Cafe Pacific because Jack Knox and Ralph Lauren are contemporaries, and I met both of them close to the same time. Jack Knox and Ralph Lauren both exude style, a personal elegance, and are the most meticulous restaurant owners I know when it comes to creating an aesthetic atmosphere of excellence. They both take great joy in presenting an experience that is inspiring and flawless. Jack Knox was raised in Highland Park and SMU, and Ralph Lauren created a Highland Park and SMU environment for everyone else in the world. Thank you – and thank you Nelly for creating a Polo-New York tone for all your guests. *Face of New York
@nellcan @thepolobar @ralphlauren @poloralphlauren @dougbihlmaier93 #thepolobar #nellymoudime #NewYork #RalphLauren #dougbihlmaier #CafePacific
Dallas Art Fair
National and international art galleries endorsed Dallas by participating in the Dallas Art Fair. Often artists lead the way in discovering and reclaiming neighborhoods making them fashionable. Much the same can be said of art galleries. Barry Whistler Gallery gave Deep Ellum a boost three decades ago and then gave the Dallas Design District an additional thrust. Now international galleries are doing the same thing for Dallas by participating in the 15th Dallas Art Fair. We know Dallas has the country’s most diverse economy attracting a steady flow of Fortune 500 companies. We know substantial people are moving to Dallas, resulting in more homebuyers than home sellers in Highland Park and Dallas. Dallas, increasingly attractive for relocations, is rightly associated with an open friendly city, lower taxes, safety, educational opportunities. Now international galleries are endorsing the aesthetics of Dallas.
Art transcends even the draw of jobs, safety, education and favorable economics. People of all incomes enjoy art. Now Dallas enjoy the art world coming to us. This year Art Fair spaces were consistently beautifully curated, the art strong, the galleries friendly, and the viewers excited. The Dallas Art Fair also showed the strength of Dallas art galleries. Dallas art galleries at the Fair more than held their own. Dallas art galleries in the Dallas Design District also had art openings to coincide with the Art Fair and the week of art conversations in Dallas. Private art collections were also made available to view. Art work presented by east and west coast galleries and those from around the world made me even more appreciative of the fabulous Dallas art galleries, art collectors and collections that we have in Dallas. Since grade school, I have loved fairs – including writing a long school report on fairs, going to book fairs, the Chicago International Trade Fair, art fairs in other cities, and of course the Texas State Fair. The Dallas Art Fair has blossomed into an internationally important fair – one that is enjoyable, educational, and one that endorses Dallas. *DallasArtFair
#DallasArtFair #DowntownDallas #DallasArt #DallasDesignDistrict #Dallas
Real Deal
Real Deal insights were provided earlier this year by Publisher and Founder Amir Korangy of The Real Deal, the largest real estate magazine in the country. It is interesting how people outside Dallas interpret the city. Amir Korangy hosted a dinner at The Mansion Restaurant that included former Mayor Mike Rawlings; CEO of Crow Holdings, Michael Levy; Dallas Regional Chamber Senior VP of Research and Innovation, Duane Dankesreiter; The Real Deal’s National Managing Editor Jerry Sullivan, Texas Editor Rachel Stone, and Dallas reporter Erick Pirayesh, along with a few other real estate leaders. I find interesting to compare the perspectives of those from inside and outside of Dallas. When over a year ago Amir visited Dallas to learn about the city, he asked people what made Dallas so successful. The first person suggested it was because the people in Dallas were nice. Amir said he thought this didn’t seem enough to be the foundation of a city’s success. He said after he spoke to 30 people over the week and they all said essentially the same thing, that maybe this was the key component to the success of Dallas. One certainly could not point to mountains or an ocean as the draw to Dallas. Nice is a pleasant but rather anemic word for something more profound in Dallas. When my clients are moving to Dallas or considering moving to Dallas, the first way I describe Dallas is that it is the most open city in the country. In Dallas people are considered for what they contribute and add to the city. Recently this idea was reinforced at a Dallas dinner for 80 people being celebrated for their contributions to the city. It was mentioned that Dallas is a place far more collaborative than divisive. The fun, generous, warm mood of this assemblage of successful people from the full political spectrum conveyed this. At the earlier dinner, Amir Korangy said that Dallas is both a magnet for Fortune 500 companies and is an encouraging environment for people in every demographic to start a business. The sentiments and mood of these two dinners reinforced in my mind—niceness in Dallas is the real deal. *Real Deal
#Dallas #City #TheRealDeal @mrkorangy #rosewoodmansiononturtlecreek