Morton H. Meyerson played an integral role as the committee chairmen overseeing the development of the I.M. Pei-designed Symphony Center in Dallas that would later bear his name. In this 360-degree virtual tour, Morton will be your guide and provide unique insights about the building’s creation as he leads you through areas of the Symphony Center rarely-before seen by the general public. Before getting started, here’s how to make your way around the building and a table of the tour’s contents. You can return to this page at any time during the tour by selecting the Art&Seek logo in the top left corner. If you’ve already visited, take the tour now.

Navigation

To make your way around, select the white arrows located throughout each space. Or, use the scene selector slider located at the bottom of the page.

On mobile devices, enable the gyroscope by selecting the compass icon to look around. Or, use Google Cardboard or another mobile VR headsets for a 360-degree immersive experience. (NOTE: Only Navigation arrows are active in VR mode. To move to each space, look at an arrow with the center brackets until it counts down from 3.)

Points of Interest

Clicking or tapping these icons around the building launch various stories narrated by Mort Meyerson. Listen as he gives an insiders account on the creation of this architectural marvel. Hover over a point to reveal its title.

External Links

Selecting this icon will open a new page and take you to content beyond the tour. Don’t worry, you can always jump back to a previous tab or window where you left off.

Video

Select the video icon to watch archival video content from Art&Seek and KERA.

Welcome to the tour:

Table of Contents:

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  Main Entrance

  • View Main Entrance
  • Morton Meyerson’s Role in the Project (6:17)
  • Borden’s Dairy Land donation (1:20)
  • I.M. Pei’s Pitch Story (5:42)*
  • I. M. Pei’s Concept: Relationship of Shapes (3:27)
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  Sculpture

  • View Sculpture
  • Eduardo Chilida’s De Musica (:58- Audio only)
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  Main Lobby

  • View Main Lobby
  • The Donor Wall (1:06)
  • Naming the Hall (3:31)*
  • The Promenade Space (:45)
  • Steel Support Beam (:51)
  • Box Office (:26)
  • Frozen Music: The Making of The Meyerson Symphony Center (KERA,1990 – 27:35)
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  Concert Hall Entrance

  • View Concert Hall Entrance
  • Staircase & Banisters(1:00)
  • Stanchion Lamps (1:56)
  • Open Space above Concert Hall Entrance (:55)
  • The Marble Floors (4:49)*
  • The Sound in the Lobby (1:04)
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  East Lobby

  • View East Lobby
  • Ellsworth Kelly’s Blue Green Black Red: The Dallas Panels (1:17)
  • The Endowment Wall (:25)
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  West Lobby Ground Level

  • View West Lobby Ground Level
  • Tree in the Lobby (1:09)*
  • The Betty Marcus Park and Water Wall (1:03)
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  West Lobby Upper Level

  • View West Lobby Upper Level
  • Curved Glass Curtain Wall (1:02 – Audio only)*
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  Orchestra Level of the Concert Hall

  • View Orchestra Level of the Concert Hall
  • Stone Floor (:42)
  • The Concert Hall Seats (1:30)*
  • Circle Accent (:45)
  • Squares Covering the Reverb Chambers (2:34)
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  Box Seats

  • View Box Seats
  • Railing Height (:50)
  • Columns On Sides of Stage (1:43)
  • A Tale of Two Trees (2:07)*
  • The Canopies (2:19)*
  • Control the Canopies
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  The Stage

  • View The Stage
  • The Selection of Acoustician Russell Johnson (2:11)
  • Size of the Tubes (1:28)
  • Learn More About the Meyerson’s Adjustable Acoustics
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  Choral Terrace

  • View Choral Terrace
  • Description of the Space (1:30- Audio only)
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  Organ Keyboard

  • View Organ Console
  • The Organ Drawknob (:10)
  • Mary Preston Organ Performance Video (3:53)*
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  Inside the Organ

  • View Inside the Organ
  • Number of Pipes (:12)
  • Fisk Selection Story (:57)
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  Spiral Staircases

  • View the Spiral Staircases
  • Description of the Space (:28- Audio only)
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  Reverberation Chambers

  • View Reverberation Chambers
  • Reverberation Chamber Doors (:38)
  • Cement Block Walls (:38)
  • Take Control of the Reverb Chamber Doors
  • The Meyerson Dance (1:29)
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  The Spotlight Booth

  • View The Spotlight Booth
  • Description of the Space (:18- Audio only)
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  Backstage

  • View Backstage
  • Description of the Space (1:34- Audio only)
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  The Percussion Rehearsal Room

  • View The Percussion Rehearsal Room
  • Description of the Space (:32- Audio only)
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  Choral Rehearsal Room

  • View Choral Rehearsal Room
  • Description of the Space (:59- Audio only)

*These are some of our favorite stories from the tour. Tell us yours on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Credits:

This project was created by Art&Seek’s Dane Walters, with assistance from Justin Bowers, Christian Anderson, and Anita Moti.

Special Thanks:

Morton H. Meyerson, 2M Companies, Theasys, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Denise McGovern, and Lamar Livingston.