NorthPark Center Dallas, Texas

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Expertise

Interiors
Retail
Masterplanning
Cultural

Size

874,450 SF | 95 acres

Remarkably Timeless

The largest shopping center in North Texas, and among the top 5 shopping destinations in the country, NorthPark Center has maintained its unique sense of identity for fifty years.

Before

After

Nasher intended to build an enclosed shopping center on that land. On paper, this goal was unremarkable; NorthPark would not be the first enclosed, air-conditioned mall. But it would be the first one with a clear architectural vision.

J. Brantley Hightower, AIA, Texas Architect

26 M Visitors annually
235 Shops
$1B In sales
58 Years old

An Award-Winning Design

A rare achievement for a regional shopping center, NorthPark Center’s architecture has afforded OMNIPLAN the honor of receiving several Design Awards from the Texas Society of Architects, and also the Dallas Chapter AIA, which specifically honored us with a 25-Year Award. In 2022, NorthPark Center was recognized by the Texas Society of Architects with an Architectural Landmark Award.

Natural Light, Restrained Design

Inside NorthPark, a controlled introduction of natural light animates sequences of modular spaces. The ceiling’s skeletal structure is expressed concrete—borrowing light from baffled clerestories (placed high on walls) and skylights (through the roof) to fill the mall’s open spaces. Its dark stained floors and white brick walls comprise its minimalist materials palette, which carries throughout the contemporary expansion. Given careful attention to space, order and natural light, its restrained design has secured lasting success for its simple palette.
Art Walk

Unlike other enclosed malls that dissect their walkways with a dashed-line of commercial kiosks, NorthPark reserves its corridors and courts for world-class art—featuring works by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Jim Dine, Jonathan Borofsky, James Rosenquist, Mark di Suvero, Claes Oldenburg, and Coosje van Bruggen. Since its inception in 1965, NorthPark has made use of its commercial place in the community as a space for promoting art and culture. Its original developer, Raymond Nasher, began making NorthPark a permanent repository for work he curated from his life’s collection.
CenterPark Garden

CenterPark has become a full realization of NorthPark’s original intent to be a station where commerce, art and culture meet. Along its perimeter are cafes with outdoor dining and alternative entry to some shops. In the middle of this garden space is a formal recessed lawn where one of NorthPark’s world-class sculptures is on display.

Expanding for the Future

A list of high-quality tenants with interest in locating at NorthPark continued to grow over time, and with zero vacancy the owners decided to pursue two major expansions.

1966
1976
2006

1966
When it opened, NorthPark was the largest climate-controlled retail space in the nation—pioneering the evolution of regional shopping centers.
1976
The interim expansion included a two-story addition that turned the “L” shaped complex into a “U”.
2006
The permanent expansion connected the “U” shape, and NorthPark became a fully enclosed “square doughnut”— anchoring each corner with an upscale department store and capturing a 1.5 acre greenspace that would later be coined “CenterPark.”

#NorthParkCenter

See how commerce, art and culture meet in a creative environment

Thoughtful Design in Unexpected Places

Careful consideration was taken when designing places typically given the least attention in a mall setting, such as the garages, foodcourt and cinema.

- Overlooking CenterPark from NorthPark’s new third floor is Dallas’ most successful cinema, a 15-screen AMC.
- Underlying the decision to design a third floor was its unique effect—doubling NorthPark’s total GLA while making room for CenterPark.
- However boundless its possibility for success continues, NorthPark Center is limited by boundary to its original 95 acre site—impelling its recent graduation to a contemporary parking solution.
- No visitor unwelcome, NorthPark Center’s parking garages offer more than 4,000 new spaces.
- Because these garages book-end the new mall addition, they were carefully designed to provide a handsome and responsible “face” for the center.
- We continued making use of daylight in the parking structures to assure a consistent line of sight—contributing to its enhanced safety and the overall security at NorthPark.
- Beyond the grand court where visitors reach the top of Ad Astra on the second floor is the food court. Giving new dimension to this standard amenity is the innovative interface between indoor and outdoor dining.
- The glass compluvium is a modern gesture to NorthPark’s repeating duality—using transparent lightness among ordered rooms to punctuate indoor-outdoor relationships.

Key People

Recognition

25 Year Award for Design Excellence Texas Society of Architects
25 Year Award for Design Excellence American Institute of Architects, Dallas Chapter
1970 Campbell & Tucker Award, Outstanding Project of the Decade American Institute of Architects, Dallas Chapter
Architectural Landmark Award Texas Society of Architects
Dallas Architecture Forum 2023 Design Recognition Award