In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district.
When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.
Designed by Morphosis, the two-story, 57,000-sf Crow Museum of Asian Art more than doubles the gallery space at the Crow Museum’s original location, which will continue to operate in the Dallas Arts District. The Crow Museum, which first opened in 1998, is one of the few U.S. organizations dedicated solely to Asian art.
The design for the new $63.5 million Crow Museum emphasizes transparency and natural light, with large expanses of glass and lightwells in the galleries and lobby. The building features white precast concrete cladding on all sides.
In addition, ground has been broken on the two-story performance hall and music building. The facility will provide a 680-seat performance hall, an outdoor performance space, rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, teaching studios, percussion studio, recording studio, administrative offices, classrooms, multifunctional lobby space, study spaces, and student lounge. Expected to open in fall 2026, the building will be part of the UT Dallas Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology.
“This complex, like our entire campus, will be a place of learning and growth,” Inga H. Musselman, UT Dallas provost, vice president for academic affairs, and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership, said in a statement. “I envision students walking through the museums during their class breaks or taking notes about pieces of art that are displayed here. The performance hall and music building will provide even more opportunities for students.”
On the Crow Museum of Asian Art’s building team:
Design architect and architect of record: Morphosis
MEP engineer: Campos Engineering
Structural engineer: Datum Rios
General contractor: The Beck Group
Related Stories
| Jan 19, 2015
HAO unveils designs for a 3D movie museum in China
New York-based HAO has released designs for the proposed Bolong 3D Movie Museum & Mediatek in Tianjin.
| Jan 13, 2015
Steven Holl unveils design for $450 million redevelopment of Houston's Museum of Fine Arts
Holl designed the campus’ north side to be a pedestrian-centered cultural hub on a lively landscape with ample underground parking.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 29, 2014
'Russian nesting doll' design provides unique fire protection solution for movie negatives
A major movie studio needed a new vault to protect its irreplaceable negatives for films released after 1982. SmithGroupJJR came up with a box-in-a-box design solution. It was named a Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 22, 2014
Skanska to build Miami’s Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the 250,000-sf museum will serve as an economic engine and cultural anchor for Miami’s fast-growing urban core.
| Dec 15, 2014
Studio Gang tapped for American Museum of Natural History expansion
Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects has been commissioned to design the $325 million Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
| Dec 9, 2014
Steven Holl wins Mumbai City Museum competition with 'solar water' scheme
Steven Holl's design for the new wing features a reflective pool that will generate energy.
| Dec 2, 2014
Main attractions: New list tallies up the Top 10 museums completed this year
The list includes both additions to existing structures and entirely new buildings, from Frank Gehry's Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris to Shigeru Ban's Aspen (Colo.) Art Museum.
