1217 Main St.

Enduring the adverse effects of two different fires over the past several years, downtown Dallas’ 1958 Guardian Savings Bank had seen better days. In lieu of demolishing the 4-story building, the owner Headington Cos. decided to preserve the core and shell and infuse new life into 1217 Main Street with a striking mosaic façade. Ultimately, the adaptive reuse project earned the distinction of Dallas Morning News architectural critic Mark Lamster’s top 10 Dallas structures.

In pursuit of turning the dilapidated building into an urban asset, well-known artist and Macarthur Foundation Fellow Jorge Pardo was brought in to design the handmade glazed ceramic tile façade. To optimally enhance the six different shades of blue in the colorful mosaic bordering the curtainwall system, choosing the right glass was essential.

“Numerous options were considered and after reviewing them all in combination with the artistic tile on the building, Solarban^® 90 Starphire^® glass was selected because of its clarity, reflection and lack of color,” explains Yen Ong, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, the lead architect on the project with 5G Studio Collaborative, whose Dallas based firm both designed the building and occupies the top three floors. Ultimately, the glazing selection worked very well with the project’s material palette.”

Starphire Ultra-Clear^® low-iron glass from Vitro Architectural Glass offers industry leading clarity while Solarban^® 90 glass delivers high-performance solar control. United in a standard one-inch insulating glass unit (IGU), they block 77% of the sun’s heat energy and achieve a crystal-clear aesthetic with visible light transmittance (VLT) of 54%. “This allowed us to provide a building that is both alluring and efficient,” Ong added.

Throughout the design process, the architects used 3D modeling. By visualizing the project, this helped fine tune the overall design.

Today, floor-to-ceiling Solarban^® 90 Starphire^® glass showcases the flurry of activity inside. The revitalized building is home to a bakery, café and commissary on the ground floor, an interior design firm on the second floor, and 5G’s offices above.

An Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Award winner for Building Renovation, the magazine stated, “1217 Main Street has become a new landmark and operates as a gateway to Dallas’s revitalized Main Street.”