(gentle upbeat music) - [Narrator] The Latino Cultural Center is a place of celebration, bringing the spirit of community, and a bright, vibrant palette to the Dallas skyline.

It opened in 2003, just outside the city's Arts District.

The design by architect, Ricardo Legoretta, of Mexico City, alludes to a small Mexican village.

The center sprawls over 27,000 square feet.

It's a crisp composition of brilliant colors, stucco walls, cubes, and rectangles.

Legoretta used the playful mix of geometric shapes to make the complex stand out against its urban setting.

A 70-foot purple tower stands like a giant exclamation point, comprised of six tiers of rotated boxes.

Along the main corridor, the mural, "Danza De La Tierra," is displayed.

The piece by Chicana artist, Judy Baca, features two people dancing prominently against the Dallas skyline.

Within the piece, Baca uses swirling ellipses to create a sense of movement.

She said it's a way to draw the viewer into the dance as a participant, while they move around the lobby.

Interior spaces open to views of intimate courtyards and soaring skyscrapers.

Changing natural light illuminates the center's art galleries.

The Latino Cultural Center was built to preserve and nurture the contributions of Hispanic arts in Dallas.

It's home to two theater companies, and hosts performances and festivals, such as Posada, Día del Niño, and Día de Muertos.

The center's engaging colors, textures, and scale, speak to the roots of so many city residents.

This vibrant addition to downtown Dallas proclaims that Latino culture is a strong part of the community.

- [Narrator 2] Funding for the Shape of Texas is provided by Texas Society of Architects, and by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Summerlee Foundation of Dallas, Texas.