Howdy! After reading all about Klyde Warren Park & Turtle Creek Park, I bet you are just dying to learn about the next downtown Dallas park that you need to check out. Well, at least I hope you’re dying to read it! Either way, I’m here to tell you all about the new West End Square in downtown Dallas! When I say new, I mean brand new, too! The West End Square only just opened at the end of March! I checked it out a week after it officially opened! Needless to say, I have the scope for you on this new Dallas green oasis!
History
The West End Square is located in the Historic West End District of Dallas. I learned this area is the “birthplace” of Dallas while researching for this post. After the 2001 Boeing snub, Dallas really began to focus on incorporating more parks into the downtown urban fabric. The nonprofit, Parks for Downtown Dallas, has really spearheaded this effort. Parks for Downtown Dallas worked collaboratively with the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department to design and construct four new parks in downtown. West End Square happens to be one of those parks!
This park used to be an old parking lot behind the Spaghetti Warehouse. Funny story, I vividly remember walking through this parking lot in 2012 on a school trip to see where JFK was assassinated. Who knew one year later that parking lot would be in the Dallas Master Plan to be developed into an innovative park!
First, the design phase of the West End Square began in March 2018 by James Corner Field Operations. They also designed the Highline in New York City! Once the design wrapped up in October of 2019, construction began in January 2020.
Before & After Aerials from Park for Downtown Dallas Webpage 
Design
The nifty aspect of West End Square’s design is that it experiments with the incorporation of new technology for the maintenance & operations of the park, as well as an amenity for park guests. In addition, a public input meeting was held to develop the park programming. The input report is available online. Maybe it’s just because I’m in the industry, but it was fascinating to look through! After reading the report, I can see how they took the feedback and developed the main functions of the park. Speaking of the main parts of West End Square, the following are the design elements incorporated:
Design Elements
- The Frame: The Frame is a trellis structure that acts as a gateway into the park. It wraps around the Historic District’s sidewalks and the interior of the park acting as an armature for all of the technology within the park. Planning for ever-changing technology, The Frame has a “plug and play” approach that will allow it to adapts as needs evolve!
- Outdoor Workroom: Located under the Frame’s northern portion, the workroom has a 50-foot long table with WIFI and charging stations. Talk about remote working in style, am I right?! Additionally, there are smaller workspaces within the garden space that act as a working space for a more intimate group.
- The Porch: Ok, this is my favorite aspect of the entire park! The Porch has these huge swings that you can either sit in alone or with a friend!
- The Game Room: What’s a modern park without some fun games? This game room offers ping pong, foosball, and everyone’s favorite: Corn hole!
- Innovation Arcade: Under the Frame at the park’s entrance off of Market Street, there is an area set up for temporary art or performance installations. When I visited, the installation was called “Antibodies”. This motion sensor piece reflected the monotony of video calls in today’s COVID era.
- Water Table: This water table offer’s a very interesting use of how “smart” parks can acclimatize to weather changes. During still days, the table will be a reflective pool, bubblers will activate when the wind picks up, and if the heat is rising, the table will create a cloud mist to keep park-goers cool
- Prairie Gardens: Finally, the botanical aspect of the West End Square sculpts these beautiful plant beds inspired by the Blackland prairies. The plants selected are native or adaptive to North Texas. Additionally, they are low water use and provide habitat for pollinators! The irrigation design is also set up with smart technology to minimize water use.
Location & Hours
As previously mentioned, the park is located in the Historic West End District of Dallas. This area is a major tourist attraction with Dealey Plaza, the Dallas Holocaust Museum, and The Dallas World Aquarium located in the area. Additionally, West End Square is only roughly a 10 min walk from Klyde Warren Park, the Katy Trail, and the American Airline Center. Basically, this area is a prime location!
As with any other downtown Dallas park, parking is tricky on a busy day (ironic, since this use to be a parking lot). However, if you aren’t like Olivia Rodrigo and CAN parallel park, you should be good! Just make sure to bring some quarters for the parking meter! Of course, if you don’t feel like driving, you can also take the DART to the West End station!
In summary, this park was designed with sustainability in mind. The design offers adaptability for technological improvements and creates a green oasis in an area that would otherwise be an urban heat island! Personally, I’m going to be very surprised if this park doesn’t win any awards. It’s the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the Big D!