[caevans3]

Below is the story from the Houston Chronicle about the Asia House. I must say that if the Museum Districe is to become something truely special, these are the projects that must continue to be approved. Here it is and enjoy.

Nov. 11, 2004, 12:52AM

Architect will put his mark on Museum District
Taniguchi, noted for museums, will design Asia House
By PATRICIA C. JOHNSON and CLIFFORD PUGH

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This message has been edited to remove copyrighted material.
Please do not post copyrighted photos or articles from newspapers or magazines. We have already received a warning from the Houston Chronicle, and the legal departments of other publications have visited the site. If you would like to discuss a published article, please summarize the article and provide a link to the original source.

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Sincerely,
caevans3

[tamtagon]

Rock on!

[H-Town Man]

caevans3, on Thursday, November 11th, 2004 @ 3:02am, said:

He reportedly received the MoMA commission after telling board members, "If you give me enough money, I'll design you a beautiful building. If you give me more, I'll make it disappear."

The $425 million MoMA expansion will open Nov. 20. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This one's only $30 million. That's probably out of disappearing range.

[tamtagon]

H-Town Man, on Thursday, November 11th, 2004 @ 3:23am, said:

This one's only $30 million.  That's probably out of disappearing range.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ya, I guess the MoMA has more art to display, a whole lot more!!! I've got big hopes, though, for the future of museum collections in Houston. Typically, it takes a several decades before collectors relinquish the goods to public museums, Houston museums will have a very steady and gacious stream of high art into the public galleries.

[houston-development]

i recall them having problems purchasing one house in order to get a square lot. did they work out a deal or will they be building around it? i believe they paid $40 to $45 psf.

[houstonsemipro]

y'all said we need more museums downtown. Now there you have it. Alot of great things is heading for houston. Well of course, this is a international city.

[2112]

I had to get myself cleaned up after reading that.

[bachanon]

hopefully this structure will garner international attention. i'm sure it wouldn't receive attention on the scale of say the modern in ft. worth by tadao ando, but international attention none the less.

[2112]

Still cleaning self up.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Heh. Sounds like you need one of those power hoses, 2112.

I'm glad that decided to put the museum in the Museum District. While I'd like to see more cultural facilites placed downtown, something of this particular caliber needs to be on display where the best of Houston's museums are already located.

I'm anxious to see the final look of the facility once it's constructed.

[NYC Texan2]

Very exciting. Sounds like they still need quite a bit of money, though (I'm sure the Dallasites will be happy to oblige otherwise). Just for comparison purposes, how much did the Audrey Beck cost?

[largeTEXAS]

Some examples of his previous museums

[Montrose1100]

WHat are those pictures of?

[LTAWACS]

ncie

[20sGirl]

WOW! Great pictures! I can't wait to see what our new addition is going to look like!

[maq]

Sorry for bringing back an old thread. But I think this topic is still somewhat exciting.

I went to NYC in Janurary and visited the newly expanded MoMA. I also spent quite some time at Mr Taniguchi's Nine Museums Exhibition. I must say I came away very impressed and am very looking forward to this new building in the Museum District.

IMO Houston lacks diversity in architecture design, namely modern oriental design. With Asian being a strong community in the city, the city itself definitely needs a few good examples of Asian architecture. And that's exactly what Mr Taniguchi does best. I have not seen anyone else who could combine traditional oriental elements with minimalist so well.

The only thing I'm worried about is the fact that he's done so many museums and with a small budget like that, this one for us Houstonians might end up being a not-so-special-one compared to his other works. Let's hope he pulls it off

[DJ V Lawrence]

I'm really excited for this museum. Does anyone know when any renderings will be available?

[jookyhc]

Is there a rendering of the Asia House anywhere that is easily accessible?

[Lowbrow]

I don't think so. I do regular internet searches on them and have seen nothing.

[houstonsemipro]

Any new info on the Asia House?

[LTAWACS]

last i heard it was a go

[Sunstar]

LTAWACS, on Thursday, July 14th, 2005 @ 8:14am, said:

last i heard it was a go

No information on this one for some time. Any new info?

[Lowbrow]

This post has been edited by Lowbrow: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at 1:00 PM

[KinkaidAlum]

Looks like it will fit in well with the existing neighborhood. There are some GREAT old houses back there that have been very well maintained, beautiful live oaks, and the requisite new townhomes sprouting up all around the site.

[abs1nthe]

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).

This post has been edited by abs1nthe: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at 9:50 PM

[nmainguy]

abs1nthe, on Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 @ 9:43pm, said:

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.

[NYC Texan2]

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

[abs1nthe]

nmainguy, on Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 @ 10:01pm, said:

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.

This post has been edited by abs1nthe: Thursday, April 13, 2006 at 2:19 AM

[Subdude]

Asia House update from Houston Business Journal.

Quote

Museum District to get some Asian spice
Asia House to serve as $30 million cultural arts, entertainment centerpiece and gathering place
Houston Business Journal - July 7, 2006by Jennifer Dawson
Houston Business Journal

The 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

[sevfiv]

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).

[editor]

Any news on this? Can anyone nail down the groundbreaking date?

[nativehou]

editor, on Monday, June 18th, 2007 @ 3:14pm, said:

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. "

[TexasArchitect]

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.

[nmainguy]

TexasArchitect, on Thursday, June 28th, 2007 @ 10:32pm, said:

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/...erra/flash.html

[Jax]

So Monday has passed and no word on the groundbreaking date. Any info, TexasArchitect?

[sevfiv]

went by it yesterday and the fence has been removed (not sure when exactly that happened, though)

there was a fence, right?

[Jax]

I don't remember a fence...

[TexasArchitect]

Jax, on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 @ 11:03am, said:

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.

[CyberCyco]

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.

This post has been edited by CyberCyco: Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 11:17 PM

[TexasArchitect]

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

[Jax]

Damn, I'm kind of disappointed about the delay. It has been delayed almost a year!

[sevfiv]

CyberCyco, on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 @ 11:08pm, said:

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

[KinkaidAlum]

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!

[CyberCyco]

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.

[Jax]

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!

[maq]

Ground breaking ceremony May 15 10am

[Jax]

Cool, that's good to know!

Any idea what's going on right now with the random scaffolding?

[dbigtex56]

[lockmat]

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=1

Being so close to the Holocaust museum seems like a good thing.