Architecture News

Dallas architecture group moves to new user-friendly downtown digs

This is where it all begins.

Courtesy photo

A new facility dedicated to architecture opens in downtown Dallas with a goal to get us in the door and get us thinking about architecture.

It's called the AD EX, which is shorthand for The Architecture and Design Exchange — a new name for what used to be called Dallas Center for Architecture — and it'll open at 325 N. St. Paul St., #150, at Republic Center near Thanks-Giving Square.

The AD EX will hold a free grand opening event on December 8 from 10 am-3 pm, in collaboration with Better Block Foundation and Downtown Dallas, Inc. Attendees are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys appropriate for children up to 14 years old (bonus points awarded for toys related to building and design).

The move to a new and friendlier building in downtown Dallas aims to spur conversation about walkability, mobility, historic preservation, affordable housing, economic development, and other civic challenges related to architecture and urban design that impact the city.

It'll have a street-level presence next door to the new Pacific Plaza park, in an effort to break down barriers and facilitate informal exchange of ideas about design and architecture.

The space boasts an open floor plan, floor-to-ceiling windows, and outside terrace, showcasing design-focused exhibitions, films, book and panel discussions, student workshops, policy symposia, and other programming.

It'll be open to the public Monday-Friday 9 am-6 pm, except for Thursdays when it will stay open until 8 pm. It'll even keep Saturday hours, from 10 am-3 pm.

In addition to diverse exhibits, they'll offer free weekly Lunch Learning Sessions and guided architecture tours.

There'll be two opening exhibits. One will be the return of the seasonal exhibit "Building Toys and Toy Buildings: Architecture Through A Child’s Eyes," which presents a timeline of vintage and modern toys used to build fantasy buildings, towns, and towers. The exhibit itself is hands-off, but there'll be a "construction zone" where visitors can design and build their own structure with blocks, TinkerToys, and LEGOs.

The second exhibition of "A Window into the Architect’s Mind: 44th Annual AIA Dallas Ken Roberts (KRob) Memorial Delineation Competition." KRob is a Dallas classic that honors hand and digital delineations (architectural drawings) by professionals and students throughout the world. It is the longest-running exhibition of its kind currently in operation.

The AD EX will also be home to the Dallas Chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA Dallas), and will provide office space for administrative staff as well as a place where AD EX programming and AIA Dallas member events occur, along with architecture and design events by other collaborating organizations.

AIA Dallas has a membership base of more than 2,400 architect and industry members and 300 architectural firms. Member efforts support professional development, education, advocacy, thought-provoking programming, and seven signature events.

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Theater News

Dallas' Second Thought Theatre gets collaborative for 2026 season

Amphibian Stage presents Bull in a China Shop

Photo by Evan Michael Woods

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The 2026 season for Second Thought Theatre in Dallas will be relatively small - only three productions are scheduled - but it will be full of collaborations designed to build on relationships with theater companies from across Dallas-Fort Worth.

Second Thought will open their season with a production that just started at Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner.

Inspired by the real letters between Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks spanning from 1899 to 1937, the story asks: what is revolution? What does it mean to be at odds with the world? How do we fulfill our potential? And how the hell do we grow old together? It’s a sharp, joyful play about chosen family and the way love becomes action.

The production, running at Amphibian Stage through March 1, will regroup for a month before starting its run at Second Thought, April 1-18.

“All of us at Second Thought have been fans of Amphibian Stage for years,” said Artistic Director Carson McCain in a statement. “Not only does our content align in mission and quality, but we align in the values of hospitality and artistry. Bull in a China Shop celebrates the queer joy that holds hands with the fight for the equality of women and the LGBTQ community.”

The second scheduled show, running September 16-October 3, will be Dance Nation by Clare Barron, on which Second Thought will collaborate with The University of Texas at Arlington.

A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2019, the play follows an adolescent dance troupe somewhere in middle America which is fighting for what will be the most important achievement of their entire lives - a national dance title.

A coming-of-age story centered around perfectionism, performance, and perception of self, the play is for anyone who’s wondered if they would have excelled on Dance Moms or buckled under the pressure to be on top of the pyramid.

The third and final show of season has not yet been announced, but it will involve a collaboration between Second Thought Theatre and Dallas’ Watering Hole Collective. It will run December 2-19.

The two companies say they have a shared belief in Dallas artists and Dallas audiences - and what’s possible when they build together.

“Both of our companies aren’t afraid of taking creative risks," said Co-Executive Directors Laura Salvie and Jenny Dang in a statement. "This collaboration is about pushing each other artistically and creating theatre that invites audiences in; not just to watch, but to think and feel together.”

In addition to the three productions, Second Thought is continuing their writers-in-development program, Thought Process. Celebrating its third year, it will welcome eight new playwrights, who will work together throughout the year to create innovative new works.

Season tickets, which are $75 for all three shows, are available online now at secondthoughttheatre.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

theater performing-arts