Case Study: Refreshing Reunion Tower (Part 1)

In the late 1970s, the City of Dallas hired Beck to build a new skyline feature, Reunion Tower. Since its completion, Reunion Tower has become an icon within the famous Dallas skyline.

The original project included a hotel, tower, terminal building, retail and eating spaces and park areas. The famous “microphone” tower stands 50 stories tall and includes a rotating cocktail lounge and restaurant at the top, boasting uncompromised views of the entire Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. A tunnel connects Reunion Tower and the Hyatt Regency Hotel with the historic Union Station.

By 2008, Reunion Tower was in need of a facelift. While the original project took 24 months to build, the Beck team had 10 months to gut and renovate the 560 foot tower along with its rotating restaurant and cocktail lounge.

The challenges:

• One challenge inherent with the project was the tower’s location adjacent to an operational hotel. Construction dust and noise were understandably a major concern, requiring a collaborative planning process that identifyed the least obtrusive manner for the construction to progress.
• Three months into the project, a grand entrance was added to the tower, increasing the size of the entry stairs. The opening date of the renovated tower had already been announced, which meant that the team would need to adjust its process and construction plan accordingly.

The solutions:

• In order to proceed with the renovation in a way that would create the least disturbance to the hotel and its guests, Beck built walls to separate the tower from the hotel lobby. The walls were constructed with finish materials so their appearance was in keeping with the hotel’s lobby. The walls also served as impenetrable noise and dust barriers, keeping contamination from penetrating the hotel’s guest spaces. The tower was closed to the public for the duration of the renovation, to allow the walls to remain in place and shield the hotel from the construction.
• With the addition of the monumental entrance staircase to the project’s scope, the team increased the speed of progress. This change was possible because of Beck’s relationship with the top subcontractors in the DFW region. Through collaboration with our subcontractors, the team developed a plan for seven-day-a-week operations. During the final three months of the project, work on the tower was a seamless, 24/7 operation. The addition of the staircase created a beautiful transition from the hotel lobby to the tower entrance. Even better – it was delivered on time per the original construction schedule.