In 1980, writer David Dillon posed the question in a commentary published in Dallas Magazine: “Why is Dallas architecture so bad?” At the time Dallas was at the height of a building boom, but in Dillon’s eyes, new construction in the city did not have the best interests of the public at large at heart. The article launched Dillon’s career as a critic of Dallas architecture for the Dallas Morning News, shaping the city’s conversation about itself and in so doing, reshaping its landscape.
Eleven years after Dillon’s death, a new book brings together some of his most important work. The collection, titled “The Open Ended City,” is curated and edited by Kathryn Holliday. She is director of the David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Holliday says Dillon hadn’t written much about architecture before his infamous piece was published, but he was able to capture people’s attention by comparing Dallas to other prominent cities like Houston or Atlanta.
Read the original article by Texas Standard here.