Dallas Transformed: Klyde Warren Park

[Hannah Wolfers]

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfolio/2013/08/1308-klyde-warren-park-the-office-of-james-burnett.asp

While the buildings of highways are still a priority for most cities, Dallas has begun to change the landscape of its streets. In the last few years Dallas has begun to insert small gardens between offices and buildings, creating a unique environment throughout the city. This was only the beginning of this transformation. Through these changes, the idea of Klyde Warren Park was born. This park, located atop an existing highway, dramatically changed the future of city planning in Dallas.

This $110 million project has resulted in a beautiful park located directly above the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. It is 5.2 acres over this eight lane highway. It stretches between Pearl and St. Paul street. An article written about this project discussed the details of the park. “The 6.5-foot-deep park deck, braced on concrete walls along the sides and on the median strip of the highway, consists of three 100-foot-long pre-stressed concrete box beams that alternate with 4.5-foot-deep concrete trenches for trees, plumbing, and electrical equipment in an abbba pattern. Geofoam, a dense Styrofoam-like fill, lightens the load wherever soil is not needed, and the entire park is covered in a 6- to 18-inch layer of topsoil.” It was an incredibly well thought out project that truly added to the urban lifestyle of this part of the city.

Klyde Warren Park serves not only as your typical park, but truly puts to practice the goals of creating a park, such as community. The park includes yoga classes, croquet, Ping-Pong, birthday parties, a dog park, food trucks, and more. Seasonal activities are planned and are being put into place this year. The landscape architect, James Burnett said “Dallas was starved for this kind of urban amenity, and not it’s got it.”

This park has begun an urban transformation in Dallas. Allowing for the closely packed city to create an urban lifestyle for its inhabitants.