Hall of State Improvements & Emergency Stone Repairs

Considered one of Texas’ most significant historic buildings, the State of Texas constructed the Hall of State for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park. Now owned by the City of Dallas and operated by the Dallas Historical Society, it serves as a museum and archive, with the building itself as the primary exhibit.

The building was designed to tell the story of Texas’ history. The materials used are all indigenous, and the artwork ranges from larger-than-life-size bronze statuary to silver negative photographic prints and monumental murals.

We worked with the City to assess and design improvements for phase one, including roofing, foundation waterproofing, new mechanical and fire suppression systems, archive relocation, and code and accessibility improvements. Construction of this phase was completed on the occupied Hall of State from 2007 to 2010 between state fairs, held annually at Fair Park.

The exterior restoration, which included Cordova Cream limestone and shell stone, bronze butterfly windows, custom light fixtures, and special finishes, was also designed and bid in phase one, but it was not constructed. Instead, an emergency stone repair project was designed and completed in 2017. The emergency repair project corrected the highest priorities and repaired deteriorating balconies and steps, impending stone spalls, and open mortar joints on the lower floors of the building.