Originally known as the Christian Science Monitor Building, the Fair Park Dallas Aquarium Education Center was constructed as a newspaper exhibition building in 1936 as part of the Texas Centennial Exposition. Designed by Luther E. Sadler, the streamlined design followed the aesthetic style of the Art Deco movement begun in 1925. The Dallas Zoo wanted to transform this space into a multi-purpose space for education, meetings, and events.
The building required a complete rehabilitation of the interior, with new flooring, ceiling, and wall finishes in every room. In the restrooms is floor tile evocative of abstracted sting rays, and herringbone flooring in the public spaces convey a refined yet durable surface. The nautical light blue painted walls and wall tiles reference back to the adjacent Children’s Aquarium. All full-height steel window frames were abated, repaired, cleaned and repainted. Exterior doors and rotted door frames were replaced and repainted to historical standards. The existing roof rafters and interior walls required structural repairs, including replacing mold-encrusted drywall for the bottom four feet throughout. Acoustical panels added to the main event space walls limit reverberation. Emergency egress elements, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, lighting and fire alarm systems were replaced and improved with water- and energy-efficient fixtures. Exterior character-defining details were maintained in close coordination with the Dallas Landmark Commission and Texas Historical Commission, with minor repairs at some cracked walls. The construction budget was tight for the entire project, so every effort was made to maximize the beauty of the building with economy of means.
