Quorum Drive forms the north–south axis of mixed-use developments filling the area between the Dallas North Tollway and Addison Airport. A driving circle is formed at the cross-axis of Addison Circle, where a monumental steel sculpture, Blueprints at Addison Circle (2000, Michael Valkenburgh and Mel Chin), inflects the curved corners of buildings at the crossing. The brick-clad structures, typically four stories, have commercial uses (shops, restaurants) on the ground floor with apartments above. Blocks to the north of the circle are filled with medium-density townhouses and apartments. Developed by Post Properties, the Circle attempts to create a center for a town without a focused core.
To the west of the Circle, the city’s water tower became the focus for the Addison Theatre and Conference Center (1992, Cunningham Architects) at 15650 Addison Road. Emulating a well-detailed 1950s shopping strip, the long, low building is anchored with a corner tower clad in turquoise brick. A low canopy on slender steel columns provides shade along one side with an upturned roof curve.