To fit in with the performance halls and museums that populate Dallas’ Arts District, New York firm Bentel & Bentel (in collaboration with architecture firm HKS) conceived the Hall Arts Hotel Dallas, a Curio Collection by Hilton, to complement the area’s artsy vibe. “Art is integral to the design. It is not just a decoration,” explains firm partner Carol Bentel.
This is apparent in the otherwise neutral lobby—a blank canvas where an abstract feature wall and a red hanging sculpture (that looks magenta in the sunlight) made from recycled tambourines by artist Lava Thomas are the first stops on the property’s designated Sculpture Walk. From there, guests are guided up the curving metal staircase to the second-floor bar and restaurant, Ellie’s, which overlooks the entrance. “The art functions as a part of the architecture, deepening the views and helping to structure the interiors,” Bentel adds. “The staircase is a sculpture in itself—an essential connector for the two major spaces.”
The banquet hall features a ceiling sculpture from Lasvit and a large floral painting by Clare Woods
Guests are welcomed to the dining room by Asteroid, a hanging ceiling constellation from artist Spencer Finch. Despite its eye-catching appearance, “it wasn’t the right light in which to dine,” says Bentel. To allow for the perfect ambiance, the sculpture was therefore tied to the steel construction hidden above the ceiling’s louvers. Spangled Ramparts, a large, colorful mural by artist Kristin Baker, also occupies a long windowless wall, energizing the minimalist room with a vibrant jolt. In the restaurant’s elevator lobby, No Future Plans by Ben Skinner cheekily tells guests, “Let’s Pretend Tomorrow Night Never Happened” in a combination of foam, drywall mud, marbled acrylic, and latex paint.
The art tour continues in the outdoor dining area, where a massive mosaic from artist Stephen Miotto spans the wall separating inside and out with a natural blue color. This is a familiar approach for Bentel, who likes to include these larger pieces “because they extend to the outside as if there is a window,” she explains.
A blue mosaic by artist Stephen Miotto spans the wall separating indoors and out on the dining patio
Accessed via the lobby, the first-floor banquet hall boasts a ceiling sculpture that lights the path. Additionally, a floral painting by Clare Woods on the focal wall runs parallel to the garden facing the opposite side of the room. “The vegetation bookends both long sides of the space while the sculpture flew through it,” Bentel says.
Thoughtful art appears in nearly every corner of the hotel, including in guestroom corridors and the 183 rooms and 18 suites, where the photographs on display above the headboards were selected through a local contest. “Art is not just hung in the space as an afterthought,” says Bentel. “It enhances the visitor’s experience and brings something local into the environment.”
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