abs1nthe Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 (edited) A couple of days ago, I went to Taniguchi's unveiling of the model and the renderings show off the project in a better light than the posted image in the previous post. In fact, I don't think the picture in the previous post reflects the current design. It looks like things are progressing very well for the project. There are a good number of supporters for this thing. If we're lucky, it'll break ground this year.If you all want to see the current renderings, join Asia Society Texas. Better yet, join the organization I'm with, Asia Society Young Professionals. They've agreed to let the young professionals show the renderings at our next social (late May). Edited April 13, 2006 by abs1nthe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 A couple of days ago, I went to Taniguchi's unveiling of the model and the renderings show off the project in a better light than the posted image in the previous post. In fact, I don't think the picture in the previous post reflects the current design. It looks like things are progressing very well for the project. There are a good number of supporters for this thing. If we're lucky, it'll break ground this year.If you all want to see the current renderings, join Asia Society Texas. Better yet, join the organization I'm with, Asia Society Young Professionals. They've agreed to let the young professionals show the renderings at our next social (late May). Perhaps as a public service you could post the more recent renderings here as many HAIFer's may not be able to join AST. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYC Texan2 Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 This is exciting but not big enough to get much attention outside Houston, I think...Where is this going to be located? I can't place it from the model. Thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abs1nthe Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 (edited) Perhaps as a public service you could post the more recent renderings here as many HAIFer's may not be able to join AST. Location: Southmore and Caroline I know, I know, it feels like I'm teasing the board, but posting the pics here are a bit of a headache for me. The renderings were printed out by Taniguchi and placed on 3 foam core boards. I'd have to go the Asia House office, ask permission, take pictures, reduce the resolution and then post. I'm a bit lazy about these things. I'll ask if they have .jpgs I can post. A few interesting things: 1. The current design has 5 garden areas, including a sculpture garden on the roof. 2. There is going to be a 300 seat theatre. 3. You'll be able to rent out certain space (theatre, meeting rooms, lobby) for functions. 4. They bought some land across the street for parking 5. You should be able to see the downtown skyline from the second floor. 6. The current plan has a small cafe. 7. The design is meant to provide a natural oasis in the middle of the city. Apparently, Taniguchi spent quite a bit of time on both visits to Houston thinking about the gardens. He is also pretty sensitive to the fact that there aren't any tall structures in the area. He made it clear that although he came with a model and some drawings, the design can still be changed depending upon Asia Society requirement changes and any new spark of inspiration between now and the summer. Edited April 13, 2006 by abs1nthe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Asia House update from Houston Business Journal.Museum District to get some Asian spiceAsia House to serve as $30 million cultural arts, entertainment centerpiece and gathering placeHouston Business Journal - July 7, 2006by Jennifer DawsonHouston Business JournalThe Asia Society Texas plans to build a $30 million arts and entertainment venue in Houston's Museum District as a showcase facility for all things Asian. The Asia House, as it's been named, will be located on Southmore between Caroline and Austin, just north of the Holocaust Museum Houston. The site is in close proximity to the Central Business District and the Texas Medical Center. The facility is being designed by internationally renowned architect Yoshio Taniguchi, who designed the expansion of New York's Museum of Modern Art. Taniguchi intends to travel to Houston July 10 to unveil schematic designs for the Asia House, his first freestanding building design in the United States. The final plan and model are expected to be ready by October. The Asia Society plans to raise $30 million to build the Asia House, and another $10 million for a permanent endowment to fund ongoing operations of the facility. Margaret Bott, director of development for Asia Society Texas, says $17.5 million has been raised thus far for the project. Construction will begin next summer on two acres of vacant land owned by the organization, she says, even if the full amount has not yet been secured. The 30,000-square-foot to 35,000-square-foot structure, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2009, will sit on one side of Southmore, and parking spaces will be located across the street.Link to Houston Business Journal article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 i hope groundbreaking is still set for this summer...i go by this vacant (grassy) plot of land every day, and had wondered when this was going to happen (if at all). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Any news on this? Can anyone nail down the groundbreaking date? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehou Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Any news on this? Can anyone nail down the groundbreaking date?Their Asia Society Texas web site says..."Groundbreaking for Asia House, to be located in the Museum District, will take place in late 2007, with formal dedication projected in 2009. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasArchitect Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 i didn't even know this thread exisited. i know people who worked on this project. i'll see if i can get the date for you guys by monday if no one beats me to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 i didn't even know this thread existed. i know people who worked on this project. I'll see if i can get the date for you guys by Monday if no one beats me to it.That would be great! I've been to Taniguchi's renovation and expansion of the MoMA at least 4 times...it seems to dissapear just as he intended...just leaving the art there by itself. I saw Richard Serra's exhibition yesterday and today. What a treat to see such massive art sitting in space's that ultimately aren't there. I totally get what Taniguchi was striving for...I just get so jazzed by this kind of thing. Taniguchi engineered these spaces for the size and weight of pieces like these. Serra was just waiting for interior spaces to display his work in the U.S. like he does with his out-door pieces and his interior pieces in Bilbao. He is such a great guy who has a great respect for engineers, architects and design so I'm pretty crazy about him.Check the flash out: http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2007/serra/flash.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 So Monday has passed and no word on the groundbreaking date. Any info, TexasArchitect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 went by it yesterday and the fence has been removed (not sure when exactly that happened, though) there was a fence, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 I don't remember a fence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasArchitect Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 So Monday has passed and no word on the groundbreaking date. Any info, TexasArchitect?ahh crap, sorry man i completely forgot, and i just had lunch with those guys the other day.ill ask and let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberCyco Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 (edited) I jog by this site almost daily and the fence was removed from the perimeter about 2 months ago. I noticed recently though the demolition of the properties on the northern edge of the land. The house on the northwest corner was demolished like more than 2 months ago. The one on the northeast corner looks like it is being prepared for demolition (its on like cinder blocks and has been emptied). I dont know if this is related to impending museum construction, or whether its related to another townhome developer moving in on prime property neighboring the future museum-- the fate of majority of old houses it seems in this neighborhood. Does anyone know whether the Asia houses northern border goes all the way to the road, including the land these houses currently occupy? I have also begun to wonder what the fate of the beautiful solitary house on the Southwest corner of the Asia House property along Caroline st and Oakdale st (Not sure of street name) might be. Unlike the other two houses described above, this one seems inhabited and with a very well maintained garden, but very vulnerable with the museum surrounding it. Edited July 13, 2007 by CyberCyco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasArchitect Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 hey guys sorry for the delay. i talked to my "source" lol. anyway, groundbreaking wont occur till spring of '08 i was asked not to give specifics, but this is the updated general info. The Asia House will be openening in 2010. Millwork for this project has been worked out and so far it looks pretty cool. there are some renderings, but unfortunately due to the nature of the project i can't post them right now, sorry. further down the line i can give u guys more specifics, but the firm working on this project respects their clients privacy and is a well respected firm that doesn't want to release any of their stuff as of yet, so it'll be for my viewing pleasure only, lol. anyway, as soon as they are free to give out info i'll post up the renderings for everyone, until then you'll have to enjoy the empty lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Damn, I'm kind of disappointed about the delay. It has been delayed almost a year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I jog by this site almost daily and the fence was removed from the perimeter about 2 months ago.i'm remember now (been a few months since i've lived over there) - there was a gate on the fence that had been opened prior to its removal, and i would see folks let their dogs in to do their thing on the lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 I had a chance to speak with one of the major fundraisers for this project. He/she told me that groundbreaking will HOPEFULLY occur in April 2008. About 75% of the needed funds have been raised and pretty much everything is set other than getting the last bit of funding in place.So, come on HAIFers, open your wallets! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nathanmcdermott Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 With April a couple of weeks away is this project still alive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberCyco Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 So looks like something might happen in April after all...On my daily bike commute today spied some action on the plot. They have erected a construction trailer/storage shed on one corner (I was too late to work to investigate in depth!). In addition, they have erected some strange scaffolding?? stuff that reach like 40-50ft into the air. There is also a new temporary fence erected around all of that. Perhaps some preparations for an upcoming groundbreaking??? Maybe someone else can shed some more light. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I noticed the scaffolding today on my way downtown and it was definitely right on the Asia House lot. An A pril groundbreaking would be awesome! I am hoping to see something cutting edge going up in my hood! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maq Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Ground breaking ceremony May 15 10am 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Cool, that's good to know!Any idea what's going on right now with the random scaffolding? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Cool, that's good to know!Any idea what's going on right now with the random scaffolding?Lisa Gray of the Chronicle (and sometimes HAIF contributor) recently wrote:When I first heard about the model of the Asia Society Texas' new headquarters, it sounded like something from a fairy tale, or a story by Borges: a full-scale model, built on the same site as the building itself.Reality turns out to be only a little less strange. At 1370 Southmore, men in hard hats are finishing a mock-up that's made of wood instead of stone, and replicates only a portion of the 38,000 square feet the Asia House will eventually occupy. But that's not to say that the mock-up is in any way small. Two stories high and 45 feet long, it's a full-scale, one-to-one model of the most complicated third of the building's facade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I noticed someone left a yahoo maps link but I think the live.com gives a better image of the location.http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...1&encType=1Being so close to the Holocaust museum seems like a good thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Interesting. I wondered what they were building out of ply wood! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 a new article on thishttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/5762386.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 a new article on thishttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/5762386.html That ground breaking event should be a very interesting and cultural experience for all. That's what I love about this part of Houston. It's like going around the world without leaving on a plane. Now let's hope there will be some Mandarin food samples for us! Mmmm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 they just had a story on ch 13 about this. the architect was present and based on the model and lot, he will make adjustments to take maximum advantage of the lot (sunlight, etc). supposed to be done in 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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