Promenade at the Federal Reserve
Client
The Michael Graves-designed Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch, is strategically positioned on Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s most significant waterway. The promenade design emphasizes the bayou as the historic apex and economic lifeblood of this relatively young and thriving metropolis.
As you make your way to the main entrance of the building, a dry creek representing Buffalo Bayou takes you on a journey from Galveston Bay up the ship channel to Downtown Houston. Punctuated along the promenade are markers that tell the stories of significant historic locations along Buffalo Bayou.
The walk culminates at a human sundial (analemmatic sundial), allowing one’s own shadow to cast the time of day.
This permanent outdoor sculpture honors the Federal Bank’s permanence and history. Illuminated laser-cut stainless steel markers with GPS coordinates and a single star mark the 12 branches of the Federal Reserve Banks and their relative compass direction from the sundial.
