Museum of Fine Arts Houston Expansion

[gene 2802]

i got confirmation yesterday from a source that wishes to remain anonymous that the reason there are only 6 clear tubes FOR NOW is that they are testing them out...they are like bank tubes at the drive thru but for people...you step in and they suction you up to the next level...for now they can each only hold up to 2 people or a family of 3 to 4 depending on how small the child is...

 

 

[Specwriter 365]

3 hours ago, mls1202 said:

What I want to know is what happens when a pigeon lands on top and sh*!ts through the grating, leaving a nice streak on the inside of these tubes...

mls, do you remember the chimney sweeps from the movie "Mary Poppins"?

[hindesky 41060]

 

[DarklyMoron 87]

Not entirely surprising, but it was announced today that the opening has been pushed back from November 1st to November 21st.

Press release: https://www.mfah.org/press/mfah-announces-inaugural-installations-kinder-building

Chronicle: https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/art-exhibits/here-s-when-you-can-visit-mfah-s-new-kinder-15567959

Edited September 15 by DarklyMoron
Adding image from press release.

[jmitch94 1888]

30 minutes ago, DarklyMoron said:

Not entirely surprising, but it was announced today that the opening has been pushed back from November 1st to November 21st.

Press release: https://www.mfah.org/press/mfah-announces-inaugural-installations-kinder-building

Chronicle: https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/art-exhibits/here-s-when-you-can-visit-mfah-s-new-kinder-15567959

 

That date felt a bit ambitious before the pandemic. 

Edited September 15 by jmitch94

[rgarza 251]

Quick update from the inside, museum staff have started moving in. There’s still quite a bit to do, but they are starting to move some art into the building. Of course, it’s not on display yet, but it is there! Barring any other major setbacks due to hurricanes or whatever, I think the new opening date is entirely doable. 

[mls1202 340]

rgarza, do you know what material the curved ceilings are made of?  In some pics it looks like fabric sails (with what looks like grommets along the edge), while others look like plaster.

[rgarza 251]

2 hours ago, mls1202 said:

rgarza, do you know what material the curved ceilings are made of?  In some pics it looks like fabric sails (with what looks like grommets along the edge), while others look like plaster.

It’s plaster. Fabric sails would’ve been cool, but I imagine it’d be a nightmare to keep clean. 

[H-Town Man 4705]

It's like Georgia O'Keefe designed an ice chest.

 

[MidCenturyMoldy 455]

Does anyone have any nighttime photos? I wanna see the glow!

[Houston19514 4221]

Interesting article in The Architect's Newspaper:

 

 

Dazzling Glaze: Steven Holl Architects tames the harsh Houston glare with clever massing and opaque tubular glass

 

[clutchcity94 302]

On 9/16/2020 at 11:16 AM, rgarza said:

It’s plaster. Fabric sails would’ve been cool, but I imagine it’d be a nightmare to keep clean. 

@rgarza When do you think y’all will be testing the illuminated tubes at night...anytime soon? Would love to see how it looks lit up!

[cloud713 3975]

On 9/15/2020 at 5:22 PM, rgarza said:

Quick update from the inside, museum staff have started moving in. There’s still quite a bit to do, but they are starting to move some art into the building. Of course, it’s not on display yet, but it is there!

Have they moved in the Kusama room?

[MidCenturyMoldy 455]

23 hours ago, clutchcity94 said:

@rgarza When do you think y’all will be testing the illuminated tubes at night...anytime soon? Would love to see how it looks lit up!

I found this photo of a model of the building at night a day or so ago. I’d never seen it before. It’s definitely better than the original model we’ve all seen.

Edited Wednesday at 07:51 PM by MidCenturyMoldy

[rgarza 251]

On 9/22/2020 at 3:15 PM, clutchcity94 said:

@rgarza When do you think y’all will be testing the illuminated tubes at night...anytime soon? Would love to see how it looks lit up!

Not sure. They were lighting up at night for a while but stopped recently. Not too sure why, but I can assure you it does look pretty cool when it’s lit up. 

14 hours ago, cloud713 said:

Have they moved in the Kusama room?

Yes, I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I was walking by last week and was instantly mesmerized. And that was just from seeing through the door from twenty feet away!

[rgarza 251]

41 minutes ago, MidCenturyMoldy said:

I found this photo of a model of the building at night a day or so ago. I’d never seen it before. It’s definitely better than the original model we’ve all seen.

Looks about right. The only difference I can see is there is no longer a canopy at the entrance. Also, when I saw it lit up the light wasn’t quite that bright white, but I think this does give a good idea of what it’ll look like. 

[mls1202 340]

16 hours ago, rgarza said:

Looks about right. The only difference I can see is there is no longer a canopy at the entrance. Also, when I saw it lit up the light wasn’t quite that bright white, but I think this does give a good idea of what it’ll look like. 

@rgarza, are those lights:

1) "windows" through the concrete wall?

2) light panels behind the glass tubes?

3) or do I have it all wrong and these are lights external to the glass and are actually shining on the outside?

[DarklyMoron 87]

Both 1 & 2. The actual windows through the concrete (which are relatively few) are being augmented with some fictional "windows" placed on the concrete. (My husband works at the museum. I'm pretty sure that that's public information.)

Edited yesterday at 02:34 PM by DarklyMoron
Full disclosure

[MidCenturyMoldy 455]

1 hour ago, DarklyMoron said:

Both 1 & 2. The actual windows through the concrete (which are relatively few) are being augmented with some fictional "windows" placed on the concrete. (My husband works at the museum. I'm pretty sure that that's public information.)

 

Here's the building before the tubes were in place. As you say, it looks like there are real windows and window-shaped indentations in the concrete. 

[MarathonMan 1098]

On 9/23/2020 at 2:47 PM, MidCenturyMoldy said:

I found this photo of a model of the building at night a day or so ago. I’d never seen it before. It’s definitely better than the original model we’ve all seen.

The model/rendering looks cool.  I’m still bummed that the most interesting aspect of the exterior design (imho) — the roof — will go largely unseen.  Although, it should translate to a spectacular ceiling on the inside.

[rgarza 251]

20 minutes ago, MarathonMan said:

The model/rendering looks cool.  I’m still bummed that the most interesting aspect of the exterior design (imho) — the roof — will go largely unseen.  Although, it should translate to a spectacular ceiling on the inside.

Best view of the roof will be from the top of the Glassel School, and you’re right about the interior ceilings - spectacular!