George W. Bush Presidential Center Preserves Former US President’s Legacy With Innovative Architectural Design

Nestled on the edge of Southern Methodist University’s Dallas campus, the 23-acre George W. Bush Presidential Center stands as a tribute to the 43rd President of the United States. Opened in 2013, this striking facility combines a museum and library, showcasing a replica of President Bush’s Oval Office and a model of the White House’s Rose Garden adapted to Texas’s climate.

The Center includes a museum, a shop, a restaurant, and the George W. Bush Institute. This institute, focusing on human freedom, global health, education reform, and economic growth, adds a dynamic public-policy dimension to the site. The museum features a poignant section on the September 2001 World Trade Center attacks, displaying a steel beam from the wreckage. Visitors traverse Freedom Hall, a dramatic atrium with a 67-foot-high ceiling and an expansive 360-degree LED screen.




Designed by Robert A.M. Stern with landscape architecture by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., the Center embodies both classical and modern aesthetics. Former First Lady Laura Bush led a design committee to ensure the building reflected President Bush’s legacy and commitment to environmental responsibility. The $250 million project resulted in a 207,000-square-foot LEED Platinum facility that seamlessly integrates design with eco-friendly features.



Constructed of red brick and Texas Cordova Creme Limestone, the Center includes sustainable elements like water-efficient prairie grass, bioswales for runoff, and irrigation cisterns. Solar panels cover 19,000 square feet of the building, enhancing its energy efficiency. The choice of PPG’s Solarban 70XL Starphire® glass, with its low-emissivity properties and optimal balance of transparency and solar control, contributes to the Center’s energy conservation efforts. This glass is prominently featured in Freedom Hall, alongside oversized pre-glazed exterior windows and custom bronzed and glass doors.



To ensure longevity and maintain the building’s aesthetic appeal, PPG’s Coraflon® ADS coatings were used for the exterior doors and metal trim. This coating, featuring Lumiflon FEVE fluoropolymer resin technology, provides protection against UV radiation, salt, air, and water, ensuring the Center’s doors will remain in pristine condition for years to come.

Information courtesy of US Glass Mag and PPG.

Photos courtesy of Robert AM Stern Architects.