1600 Pacific Tower

In 1964, a gleaming tower pierced the Dallas skyline. This was 1600 Pacific Tower, originally the National Bank of Commerce Building. It was the fifth tallest building in Dallas at the time. 1600 Pacific Tower stood as a symbol of progress, its 33 floors reflecting the city’s ambition. Designed by architects Harwood K. Smith and Dales Young Foster, 1600 Pacific Tower wasn’t just an office building. It housed the executive headquarters for LTV, Electro-Science Investors, and American Life Insurance Company. The National Bank of Commerce occupied the second and third floors. Imagine a 24-hour pedestrian mall, made of marble and granite. This connected Elm Street and Pacific Avenue right through the ground floor of 1600 Pacific Tower. A futuristic “Teller-Vision” system allowed drive-up banking via closed-circuit television. 1600 Pacific Tower even boasted rooftop terraces, gardens, and the exclusive Lancers Club on the top floor. The building’s exterior was clad in dark glass and aluminum. It featured the world’s largest electronic signboard, composed of 30 individually controlled windows on each of the top 25 floors. These windows could spell out different messages, often displaying “LTV” or even a dazzling image of Big Tex during the State Fair. However, the tower’s construction wasn’t without incident. During the build, falling masonry crashed through a neighboring building’s roof. Shortly after opening, some windows cracked from the heat. Later, in 1970, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of 1600 Pacific Tower. Over the years, the building changed hands several times. There were plans for residential conversion, but they were stalled by economic conditions. Finally, in 2014, a new vision emerged. 1600 Pacific Tower would become a blend of a Hilton Garden Inn and apartments. Today, 1600 Pacific Tower stands as a testament to Dallas’s evolving history. It showcases the city’s ability to adapt and reinvent itself, blending its past with its future.