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Return to DART Station Art & Design Program |
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Your guide to the art along the Green Line |
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DART Rail Green Line Map and Station Listing |
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Artist: Philip Lamb
Bachman Station
Location: South of Northwest Hwy. on the west side of Denton DriveSited on land purchased in 1901 by the City of Dallas from Reverend John B. Bachman, Bachman Station tells the story of circles and cycles. More than a century ago, the city impounded Bachman Creek to form the lake and create a water supply. Since then, the neighborhood has gone through many cycles of change, with businesses coming and going, a public park opening and Dallas Love Field Airport becoming a transportation hub.
The opening of this rail station marks another new cycle for the area, and artist Philip Lamb wanted to show how the area has come full circle and give riders an appreciation for the area's history.
The pedestrian entrance establishes this theme with a series of 10 shallow steps, shaped in sinuous, wavy forms reminiscent of tree rings. Each of the steps represents one decade of the lake's existence, and each features a band of text about a significant event during that decade. These steps define a 120-foot-wide plaza with pockets of greenery and seating.
The platform's concrete surface also features wavy lines to continue the tree ring metaphor. In fact, the center of the platform is the origin of the concentric rings, making it the core of the station that radiates out to the plaza rings. The pavers feature the freeform pattern of a river. Muted sage green metalwork radiates from the columns to further the tree theme, while platform fencing features silhouettes of the cattail reeds that once surrounded the lake.Accordion-shaped windscreens offer a then-and-now look of the area. A historic photograph depicts a 1911 picnic scene at the lake; the artist then shot a modern version, matching the composition of the original. The two photographs are integrated so that, as you walk along the platform from left to right, you see this transition. It satisfies the artist's desire to create an element of surprise for riders. The effect is similar to that of a billboard with rotating advertisements. Column cladding on either side of the windscreens features red brick adorned with cast-stone inlays, a reference to the façade of the nearby water treatment facilities.
When you view Lamb's station design, perhaps you too can see how the area has come full circle!
