Architect
Elements of Architecture
Owner & General Contractor
Muckleroy and Falls
Product
SEVES 6" x 6" x 4" Argus Glass Block

Our Process

The Will Rogers Memorial Center is a 120-acre entertainment, sports, and livestock complex situated in Fort Worth, Texas.  The tower situated at the front of the entrance of the facility was built in 1936 and stands over 200 feet tall.  Pioneer Tower was a well-known beacon in the Fort Worth skyline for years.  About 40 years ago, the tower went dark because of deterioration of the backlit glass block that created the luminous appearance of the structure.  Aluminum grates were placed over the glass block glazing.  In 2019, with funding in place, the city decided to restore the tower to its original condition.  

Our goal was to restore the glass block so the tower could return to being a beacon for the city.  The partnership between the owner of the building, the General Contractor, Muckleroy and Falls, and the architectural firm, Elements of Architecture, is what brought this project to life. 

Elements of Architecture, a woman-owned business, was chosen to design and oversee the restoration project.  The firm was a recipient of the Fort Worth's Chamber of Commerce Award for Small Business of the Year in 2019.  Muckleroy and Falls, a well-regarded General Contractor, was awarded the bid to lead the project.  Over the last three years, they have been named Fort Worth's best company to work for.  The two firms reached out to GBA Architectural Products + Services because of our history as the leading firm in glass block restoration projects.  After conversations and site meetings, we outlined options for design, dimension, specification review, and execution.  

With four vertical glass block walls spanning from the 13th to 27th floor, the project in total used over 6,210 pieces of SEVES 6" x 6" x 4" Argus glass block with approved mortar matches.  Tieback options were reviewed and determined, and sealant was decided on.