JUNE 2007 » AWARDS

2007 Henry Hope Reed Award

The winner of the third-annual Henry Hope Reed Award is Edward Perry Bass, president of Fine Line, Inc., a private diversified investment and venture capital firm in Fort Worth, TX. Bass has been recognized for his leadership in urban revitalization for the development of Sundance Square, a mixed-use, urban-core district in Fort Worth. In addition, as chairman of Performing Arts Fort Worth, Bass led the development of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, which opened in 1998.

Considered one of the most successful urban-revitalization efforts in the country, Sundance Square reflects Fort Worth's rich western history. During the late 1800s, as one of the major stops on the legendary Chisholm Trail, it was famous for its saloons, gambling parlors, shooting galleries and dance halls. By the late 1970s, the downtown section of the city had become an area of urban blight.

Bass was instrumental in rebuilding and revitalizing Sundance Square, which now includes more than 375,000 sq. ft. of retail space, more than two million sq. ft. of office space and almost 140,000 sq. ft. of living space. It encompasses 20 adjacent city blocks and another 20 are also slated for development. Every effort was made to preserve as much of the original architecture and historical detail as possible. Where new buildings were added, the mixture of old and new was planned and carefully implemented. "Ed Bass has shown us what can be done in major metropolitan cities in the United States," says Michael Lykoudis, dean of the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, which sponsors the award. "His example will be carried over to other places and times."

Established in 2005, the $25,000 award is named in honor of Henry Hope Reed, who has promoted Classical traditions in architecture by educating the public about the importance of grand buildings for more than 50 years. He is the author of several books, including two recent works, The New York Public Library: Its Architecture and Decoration and The United States Capitol: Its Architecture and Decoration. One of his first books was The Golden City, published in 1959. Reed is also the founder of Classical America, which has merged with the Institute of Classical Architecture.

This year's award was presented at a dinner ceremony held in Chicago in March in conjunction with the presentation of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize, which was given to Jaquelin T. Robertson. Other Henry Hope Reed prize winners include Reed himself, who received the initial award in 2005, and David Morton, senior editor at Rizzoli International Publications, who has promoted Classical art and architecture by acquiring and developing titles such as Samuel White's The Houses of McKim Mead & White and Masterpieces of Chicago Architecture by Jon Zukowsky. TB

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