Where Art and Free Perks Reign — The Victor Makes Sky-High Living Approachable (and Something Extra) in Dallas

The thin steel men sometimes stop people in the streets. Passersby find themselves peering into the large windows of The Victor high-rise, hoping to see what exactly is going on. Large abstract figures — and there are nine in total here, ranging from nine to 12 feet tall — have a way of making people wonder.

Which is the point.

“The way we design the space is to make it more akin to an art gallery,” says Kelie Mayfield of MaRS, the Houston-based design studio.

Whimsically titled “Stretch,” this sculpture set is just one of the artworks Brendan Jamison’s International Sculpture Studio was commissioned to create specifically for The Victor. Yes, this 40-story Hines high-rise in the ever growing Victory Park neighborhood, just across the street from American Airlines Center and the W Hotel, is designed to make people take notice.

From the glass box that almost seems to float above the podium level (a Munoz + Albin twist) to the 38th floor, cloud hugging lounge dubbed Vic’s Lounge with commanding views of the city.

“We want residents to be proud to call this place home,” Hines senior managing director Ben Brewer says. “Bringing friends and families to enjoy all our amenities.”

Yes, you could say The Victor is something extra. This for rent tower (from $1,970 to all the way up to $17,500 for the highest penthouses per month), believes in the more is more philosophy. That means a whole ninth floor amenities level complete with a full pool, bocce courts, TrackMan golf simulator and a pizza oven. Plus, the 38th floor Vic’s Lounge, which can be reserved by residents for free through the community’s Club Vic app.

In fact, all the semi private rooms at The Victor (think conference rooms, social lounges, the theater room) can be reserved at no cost by residents.

When you live at this high-rise, you truly have run of the whole building.

“If it’s open, it’s yours,” Jorge Munoz, principal at Munoz + Albin, says of the reserving system. “We feel that was important.”

“We want to keep it very warm and welcoming,” Mayfield adds.

After all, what use is a great building if large areas of it are cordoned off to most people?

If you’re going to live in a high-rise, you need to have a real perch in the sky. The Victor provides that, but it also brings perks when you do go to the ground.

Going on an exclusive, PaperCity-only tour of this recently opened tower shows how much it’s already being used. A woman is doing laps in the pool on a beautifully sunny day. Another resident is working out in the state of the art fitness center, the one with the Peloton studio and the eye-catching black and white boxing picture sprayed out across the ceiling. A few more work from home non-commuters are tucked into the corners of the ninth floor lounge level.

The Victor is a high-rise where you’ll see much more than the walls — or in this case the floor-to-ceiling windows — of your own unit. This includes one of the more unique lobby scenes you’ll ever get. It’s a lobby made for art — see the thin steel men — and actively lounging.

Yes, this is the beyond rare apartment lobby you actually want to spend time in.

“I think some of the level one areas in the multi-family sector have not been activated as much,” Brewer tells PaperCity. “So what we did here, we wanted it to be more indoor outdoor. We wanted it to be a great spot to converse with other residents. Or wait for your ride here. And we’ve done that with really exquisite furniture complemented with interesting art.

“I think it’s a multi-faceted approach that has made this building standup. Level one can sometimes be an afterthought, but for us we wanted it to be one of our best attributes.”

The Tower of Welcome

Munoz + Albin even designed the tower itself to be welcoming, extending its limestone all the way to the garage and placing a theater-worthy motor court with perforated metal casing and mood lighting in the middle of the drive. The architects even fought for a built-in valet parking desk to add to the sense of arrival.

Another touch? Elevating the ground level patios slightly to create distinct outdoor spaces for the future restaurants (three or four are coming, including an ultra ambitious, high-end spot).

When you live at this high-rise, you truly have run of the whole building.

The Victor is very much part of its neighborhood, one of the more walkable (it’s a 93 Walk Score) and entertainment-filled neighborhoods in the city. Imagine walking across the street to catch Luka Doncic wage his MVP campaign and big-time concerts like Elton John and The Foo Fighters.

You’ll never be stuck in traffic for a major event again. In fact, your friends will be begging to come over and hang out at your place afterwards so they can miss the traffic too.

Just make sure to show them the Jordan Spieth art wall. Yes, there is a 14 foot long and 9 1/2 feet wide portrait inspired by Dallas’ PGA Tour star’s face. Only, it’s made out of 31,500 bamboo golf tees, all hand painted in five different colors. It comes from Brandan Jamison, the same Irish artist behind the thin steel men in the lobby.

We told you this is a building full of powerful art. Trever Nichols’ Luma Voronoi Cellscape sculpture by the lobby elevator bank — with its distinctive almost giant bubble-like features — is another. It’s made out of styrofoam, but you’d never know it just by looking at it.

The Victor’s Inner Sanctums

The Victor’s 344 units are marked by the kind of custom Italian-made cabinetry usually only found in higher-end condominiums, those floor to ceiling windows and large balconies (particularly in corner units, two bedrooms and of course, the 18 penthouses).

“Not balconies,” Jorge Munoz says. “These are outdoor living rooms.”

If you’re going to live in a high-rise, you need to have a real perch in the sky. The Victor provides that, but it also brings perks when you do go to the ground. The high-rise’s on-site staff worked out a deal where local restaurants in Victory Park – including Billy Can Can, Mot Hai Ba, Jinya Ramen, Mesero and Cook Hall — give residents of The Victor 20 percent off their bill through the Club Vic app.

Yes, The Victor is an apartment tower. But living there still comes with plenty of privileges.

Which may be why this new Dallas tower has become something of an international lure. While The Victor already is home to a number of transplants from other major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, it’s turning into a United Kingdom hub as well.

The Victor’s enthusiastic manager finds himself giving FaceTime tours to international clients several times a week these days.

“People appreciate design, architecture and how the interior makes them feel,” Brewer says. “Allowing them to have different seating modes.

“They want to know who the art is from.”

The Victor piques your curiosity. And how many buildings can you say that about?

“One of the goals is to have a design driven arts community,” Mayfield says.

Those thin steel men would approve.