The sleek art-deco structure dazzled at night on all sides with bright columns of light shining through glass-block glazing and huge “lanterns” atop each corner. The tower was designed during the Great Depression by Fort Worth architects Wyatt C. The project was commissioned by the city of Fort Worth and presented in partnership with North Texas public arts organization AURORA.ĪURORA co-founders Joshua King and Shane Pennington worked with the Fort Worth Arts Council to ensure the tower’s infrastructure could handle the data and energy needed for the massive interactive public art display. L.A.-based Refik Anadol and Rome- and London-based artist Quayola used cutting-edge AI and data visualization technology to create their works, which lit up all four sides of the tower with large-scale media installations created from photos submitted by Fort Worth residents. In August, the building teased its capabilities when it lit up for the 20th year of Fort Worth Public Art, a program of the city’s Arts Council. The historic building also updated its internal lighting system as part of the makeover. A programmable LED lighting system produces colorful light shows to mark holidays and special events. One new 21st-century feature taps Pioneer Tower’s potential as a showstopper. Pioneer Tower lit up for “Pioneer Tower Dreams” public art event. “We applaud the vision and initiatives that have saved Pioneer Tower, and we’ll continue to invest $52.8 million in planned capital improvements across the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus in the next few years.” A 21st-century touch: programmable LED lighting “The tower has been an inspiration in many ways, including the design of Dickies Arena,” Crum added. “It’s an iconic landmark recognizable by generations of Fort Worthians and millions of visitors.” “Pioneer Tower is an irreplaceable, historic treasure,” Mike Crum, director of the city of Fort Worth Public Events Department, said in a statement. Now that project has won Historic Fort Worth’s 2022 Preservation Project Award. In 2019, Pioneer Tower glowed once again following completion of a $4.7 million city of Fort Worth refurbishment project.
The lights were turned off, and shattered glass-block columns were shuttered for decades with metal panels. It went dark in the late 1970s because of mounting structural damage. The 208-foot-tall Pioneer Tower, created as part of Fort Worth’s 1936 Frontier Centennial celebrating Texas’ 100th anniversary, was built to serve as a glowing beacon overlooking the Will Rogers Memorial Center.
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