
Gourley Plaza
Fort Worth, Texas | December 10, 2023
Introduction
When a major tenant decided to vacate a building leaving it practically empty, forward-thinking building owners Mercantile Partners took the opportunity to renovate Gourley Plaza in Fort Worth, Texas. They selected the architectural team at VLK Architects to design a world-class office space with a sophisticated ambiance. In addition to the overall building updates, the design team needed to keep in mind the length of time the building would be unavailable for new tenants. Time was money with this renovation.
The Story
The 300,000 square foot Gourley Plaza was originally constructed in the early 1990s and, over the years, the lobby and core spaces throughout the six-story facility had become outdated. The $10 million project sought to bring the facility into the here-and-now, including a complete reimagining of the two ground floor lobby spaces as well as the common areas on each floor. The ultimate goal was to entice high-end tenants.
Refined and sophisticated materials were specified to enrich the overall ambiance. The new interior design also provides visual definition to designate areas throughout the common areas. Cordova shell limestone at the lobby’s end walls align with a dramatic wood ceiling feature; the combination creates a chic contrast of natural textures. The flooring design featuring Crossville tile collections carries through the ambiance while also offering an artful approach to wayfinding for building visitors.
The floors are conceptualized as an extension of the exterior building entrance plaza that continues through the interior lobby. This configuration helps to visually direct visitors to the elevators, while also defining zones for waiting or relaxing. The design team of VLK achieved this through creation of floor tile pattern using subtle color changes and sophisticated mixing of tile sizes. Crossville’s Moonstruck and Shades collections not only offered the right aesthetics, sizes, and color options; these collections offered the required technical specifications for busy, high-traffic areas. Likewise, the tiles offer long-term ease of maintenance and durability that are essential for commercial spaces.
Conclusion
All elements of the renovation work in synergy to make Gourley Plaza a highly desirable address in the heart of Mercantile Center in Fort Worth.