Landmark Commission opens designation process for Dallas City Hall

The Dallas Landmark Commission on March 3 voted to initiate the landmark designation process for Dallas City Hall, the 1978 building at 1500 Marilla Street designed by I. M. Pei.

Commissioners and preservation advocates described the Pei-designed structure and its plaza as an important example of late‑20th‑century civic architecture and a defining civic landmark for Dallas. The commission voted to begin the formal designation process and referred the item to the Designation Committee for further review and outreach with city departments.

Why it matters: Dallas City Hall is widely recognized beyond the city for its modernist and brutalist design, its plaza by landscape architect Dan Kiley, and its role in the city’s post‑1960s civic development. Initiating designation starts a multi‑step review that could ultimately preserve design features and guide future changes to the building and plaza.

The designation committee chair of the Landmark Commission, Darren Tapscott, told commissioners the building is “an iconic building” and stressed the committee’s support for starting the designation work. Robert MacFessal, representing DOCOMOMO US, a national nonprofit focused on modern architecture preservation, called City Hall “a critically significant example of brutalism” and urged the commission to recognize the building’s national importance.

Commissioner Jim Rothenberger, who brought the item forward, told the commission he had watched the building’s place in the city’s civic life and argued the city should take steps now to document and consider preservation options. Rothenberger and other commissioners noted the building’s awards and its links to a notable architect’s body of work.

Commissioner Preziosi seconded Rothenberger’s motion. After discussion the commission voted to initiate designation; staff and the Designation Committee will now coordinate a formal review that will include outreach to city departments and the public. Commissioners said they expect the committee to examine both the building and its plaza and to work with the city on technical issues, including long‑term maintenance and waterproofing of the plaza.

What comes next: Initiation places City Hall on the designation committee’s docket for further study, public meetings and a potential future public hearing before the full commission. Staff said city departments have already been invited to the March 19 designation committee meeting so they can participate in early discussions.

The commission’s action does not itself impose restrictions; it only begins the formal evaluation and public process that can lead to a designation recommendation and then a final vote.