Houses Gardens People: 6/1/14

The interactive GeO-deck at Reunion Tower; Photo by Andrew Bordwin

Sky High Style . . . For so long, whenever anyone visiting Dallas wanted to know where to go, I skipped telling them about Reunion Tower, even though—thanks to the TV show Dallas—it had become a landmark. Despite the amazing views from the observation deck, the interior spaces had seen better days. Then, it further fell off my radar when the tower was shut down in 2007 for renovations.

Now, just in time for its 35th anniversary, Reunion Tower is back, and it's been worth the wait. The last two remaining floors, including the new GeO-deck and Cloud Nine cafe, recently re-opened, with a dazzling redesign carried out by Dallas-based Gensler. Using the rotating sphere as inspiration, designers and architects at Gensler transformed the observation deck and cafe, using LEDs and beautiful materials and furnishings.

They also teamed up with San Francisco-based Stimulant, a firm that specializes in the latest, state-of-the-art interactive technology. The observation deck's 360 degree view is enhanced by 46 touch screens that allow you to pull up real-time information about what you're seeing, thanks to HD cameras mounted outside the tower. The Big Sky installation on the ceiling of Cloud Nine cafe streams real-time, 3D simulations of the city's weather patterns—can you imagine what it would all look like during one of Dallas' explosive thunderstorms?

GeO-deck LED detail; Photo by Andrew Bordwin.

LED clouds in the ceiling at the Cloud Nine cafe feature digital weather scenes; Photo by Andrew Bordwin.

Bar at Cloud Nine cafe; Photo by Andrew Bordwin.

The new high-speed elevator at Reunion Tower takes
68 seconds to reach the top; Photo by Andrew Bordwin.

Stairwell and lighting fixture connecting the GeO-deck and Cloud Nine cafe; Photo by Andrew Bordwin.

High definition cameras mounted on the exterior of the tower
allow visitors to pick a view of the city
to explore in real time; Photo by Andrew Bordwin.

Norman Brinker, in between chukkers at a polo match. Photo by Walter Workman

Parting Shot . . . I met sports photographer Walter Workman at a couple's engagement party on Saturday afternoon in Burleson, TX. Most engaged couples don't hire a sports photographer to shoot their party, but when the party is a polo match—Bride vs. Groom—with the bride-to-be galloping across the field, white veil flying behind her and swinging a mallet—you want to make sure you've got a photographer who can capture the action. It makes sense. This morning I looked up Workman's website and noticed an old black and white shot of restaurateur Norman Brinker he'd taken circa 1980. Brinker—famous for Chili's, Steak 'n Ale and creating the salad bar concept—helped introduce the sport of polo to Texas when he developed Willow Bend polo club in 1972. I pulled up Brinker's Wikipedia page and saw that today, June 9, is the fifth anniversary of his death. I thought the coincidence warranted a mention of him on the blog. "He was a humble guy who loved the sport of polo," says Workman, who captured Brinker resting on his horse trailer in between chukkers. "The shot wasn't posed at all—his pony all of a sudden angled his nose in the shot, and I backed out to get it."

It was one of the last shots of polo Workman took for more than 30 years, until a few years ago, when he started shooting polo matches again. Meanwhile, the Dallas-based photographer has shot everything from ski races in Europe to the Texas Rangers and Coco Chanel's Paris apartment. But his best work seems to be with horses, and he's shot some dazzling portraits of working cowboys, cattle drives, rodeos and ranch scenes. I won't give away his secrets, but some of it has to do with lighting—even in the middle of nowhere with dust and hooves flying, he'll bring out his generator and hot lights to get the look just right. "My SUV is one big camera bag," full of equipment, he says. "I love what I do. It sounds romantic, when people hear where I get to go and do what I do, but when you're pulling over to the side of the road when it's 20 below, sleeping in the back of the car, or camping out with rattle snakes and mountain lions, it's not nearly as glamorous as people think. But the photos are worth it."

Well said.

Below, a few of my favorites from Workman's website and blog.