he university is located in Irving, Texas on a 744-acre (301 hectare) campus in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[11] The Las Colinas development is nearby. It is 10 miles (16 km) from downtown Dallas. The campus consists mostly of mid-century modernist, earth-toned brick buildings set amidst the native Texas landscape. Several of these buildings were designed by the well-known Texas architect O’Neil Ford (dubbed the Godfather of Texas modernism).[48][49] The mall is the center of campus, with the 187.5 feet-tall (57.15 meters) Braniff Memorial Tower as its focal point.
SB Hall on the University of Dallas campus, seen with the Braniff Tower in the background
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Braniff Graduate Center designed by O’Neil Ford
Perhaps reflecting prevailing biases against mid-century modern architecture, the Princeton Review once mentioned the University of Dallas as having the fourth-least beautiful campus among the America’s top colleges and universities, along with several other campuses with abundant modern architecture.[50] Travel + Leisure‘s October 2013 issue lists it as one of America’s ugliest college campuses, citing its “low-profile, boxy architecture that bears uncanny resemblance to a public car park,” but noting that a recent $12 million donation from alumni Satish and Yasmin Gupta would bring new campus construction.[51]
A Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Orange-Line light rail station opened near campus on July 30, 2012.[52]
The campus is home to the Orpheion Theatre, a small Greek-style playing space built into a hillside. The theatre was constructed in 2003, and has since been used for a handful of mainstage and student productions.