The Power Station

The Power Station is an indoor/outdoor art exhibition space, guest artist’s residence, and not-for-profit organization that invites artists to respond to the raw character of the architecture, a historic, 1926 Dallas Power & Light electrical substation. Here an urban garden gallery has sprung to life within the former industrial compound, healing it back to a semblance of what it may have been before. The building and garden relate to one another gently through the careful manipulation of crisp architectural elements that are then intentionally eroded by more informal, lush plant material. The project is a welcomed reminder that a thoughtful renovation of historical building and site can generate spaces that provide both form and function. The Power Station is a significant and prominent Dallas restoration, demonstrating what can happen when vision and creativity are at the helm of the process. Programming and development of the site’s exterior spaces were as important to the success of the project as was the architectural restoration of the building. Much of the garden’s design originated from studying the views from inside the building with selective use of both hardscape and plant material for screening. Juxtaposed with the historic architectural details of the substation, the garden’s aesthetic incorporates simple modern element constructed from a restrained materials palette of crushed aggregate and rip rap, architectural and recycled concrete, steel, and native plantings. The continual patination of these materials ties aging but timeless architecture to garden in a complimentary fashion.