Art and Architecture

Marvel at the cool new buildings that are helping to shape Dallas

Paying homage to an area's history while boldly shaping its future is something that's incredibly hard to pull off — unless you're talking about the HARWOOD District.

There are important nods to Dallas' past scattered throughout these 18 city blocks, the most recognizable being the mural outside Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar and the eatery's building itself, which was built in 1927 as the city's first school for Hispanic children.

On the second floor is The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection, which houses the world's largest collection of samurai armor and objects outside of Japan. The museum, which has free admission, is so renowned that even couture design house Hermès used it as inspiration for its latest scarf collection. You can also spot pieces from the collection in the lobbies of each of the HARWOOD District buildings.

There are also groundbreaking new buildings going up from developer Harwood International which will contribute to the HARWOOD District's lasting impact on Dallas as a whole.

HDF architects has had a lot to do with giving the HARWOOD District its many distinctive looks. The award-winning, in-house firm is behind the intimate Parisian setting of Mercat Bistro, the chic and relaxed atmosphere of Magnolias: Sous Le Pont, and the massively welcome vibe projected by Happiest Hour.

The architecture and design firm partners with international architects to help shape the district, including some of its most high-profile upcoming structures: Bleu Ciel, Harwood No. 10, and the new Rolex building.

Designed in collaboration with Paris-based Jean-Michel Wilmotte (who designed the Musée d'Orsay), the luxury condo tower Bleu Ciel will redefine the Dallas skyline with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sweeping terraces. Curated garden environments designed by world-renowned landscape architect Sadafumi Uchiyama will add to the resort-like ambiance.

The same firm selected to design the stadium for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is also a partner on the new Rolex Building. Kengo Kuma & Associates and HDF crafted a seven-story building with 56,422 square feet of office spaces. World-renowned landscape architect Sadafumi Uchiyama has included a Japanese-inspired tiered garden featuring rampart stone walls at the base of the building, with reflecting pools and cascading waterfalls spilling over the sides. A motor court is nestled within the gardens and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks tie the site to the gardens of Saint Ann Court.

Harwood No. 10 will also create a new kind of high-rise by exploring the relationship between interior space and the outdoors, and will be designed 100-percent in-house. The 22 stories of office, retail, and restaurant space will be broken up by outdoor terraces, redefining the typical "box" space. On the 10th floor will be a 12,000-square-foot garden and fitness pavilion, including a squash court and golf simulator. A pedestrian passageway dividing this building from its neighbor will be transformed into La Rue Perdue, a charming side street of shops, restaurants, and patios.

So next time you're in the HARWOOD District, stop and take a good look around — soon, it's going to look even better.

La Rue Perdue will charmingly connect Harwood No. 10 with its neighbor.

Rendering courtesy of HARWOOD District

La Rue Perdue will charmingly connect Harwood No. 10 with its neighbor.

uptown promoted urban-renewal downtown

population explosion

7 booming Dallas neighbors see biggest population growth in U.S.

City of Denton, TX - City Hall/Facebook

Denton had the biggest population growth rate in Dallas-Fort Worth from 2022 to 2023.

Denton, Mansfield, McKinney, and more North Texas cities are among the fastest-growing places in the country, according to a new population growth study by SmartAsset.

The report, "These Cities Saw the Largest Growth in Population – 2024 Study," examined U.S. Census population estimates for 2023, 2022, and 2018 to determine one-year and five-year population changes for 610 U.S. cities with populations of at least 65,000 residents in 2023 (where the most recent data was available).

Silver Spring, Maryland had the No. 1 biggest population boom nationwide from 2022 to 2023, SmartAsset found. The Washington, D.C. suburb grew 12.86 percent year-over-year, bringing the city's total population from 75,313 to 84,996 residents in 2023.

Denton took the lead over all other Dallas-Fort Worth cities with the 16th-largest one-year population growth rate in the U.S., at 5.32 percent. Denton gained over 8,000 residents from 2022 to 2023, bringing the city's total population to 158,361 in 2023.

This should come as no surprise to those who already live in Denton, who may know their hometown was ranked one of the safest suburbs in America.

Mansfield trailed close behind with a 4.16 percent increase in population during that same period, which landed it the No. 26 spot in the one-year population change analysis. The city gained 3,189 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 79,775 residents in 2023.

McKinney appeared farther down the list as No. 49 with just a 2.89 percent one-year growth rate from 2022 to 2023, and a total population of 213,504 residents.

Only four other Dallas-Fort Worth cities appeared in the top 100 fastest growing cities in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023:

No. 61 – Frisco (2.48 percent increase)
No. 72 – Rowlett (2.48 percent)
No. 73 – Lewisville (2.17 percent)
No. 99 – Flower Mound (1.73 percent)

The report suggested major population shifts in communities like Denton or Mansfield can result in "a variety of interwoven economic and social impacts."

"The magnitude of the population change can affect demand for businesses and services, which in turn may impact costs – or even the availability of such amenities," the report's author wrote. "Similarly, the relative age of the population can determine the strength or weakness of the local job market, as well as have an impact on local culture, economic trajectory, tax base and more."

Fast-growing cities elsewhere in Texas
Texas cities dominated the top 10 list of cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023.

New Braunfels, a San Antonio suburb, ranked No. 2 nationally with an 12.49 percent one-year population boom, and a 29.68 percent growth rate from 2018 to 2023. The city gained 12,318 new residents in that time, adding up to a total population of 110,961 residents in 2023.

Just two spots behind New Braunfels is the North Austin suburb of Georgetown (No. 4), which grew 11.34 percent to 96,317 residents in 2023. According to the report's five-year population change analysis, Georgetown ranked seventh with a 29.85 percent growth rate.

The Houston suburbs of Atascocita and Conroe ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Atascocita's total population grew to 119,502 residents in 2023, which represented a 11.03 percent growth rate from 2022, and a whopping 38.56 percent population increase since 2018. Conroe's 6.73 percent one-year population increase paled in comparison, but the city grew 23.49 percent during the five-year period from 2018 to 2023.

The top 10 U.S. cities where population grew the most from 2022 to 2023 are:

No. 1 – Silver Spring, Maryland
No. 2 – New Braunfels, Texas
No. 3 – Glen Burnie, Maryland
No. 4 – Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Atascocita, Texas
No. 6 – Pine Hills, Florida
No. 7 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 8 – Lehi, Utah
No. 9 – Conroe, Texas
No. 10 – Dale City, Virginia

population growth reports smartasset dallas fort worth denton suburbs mansfield