ArtNsf Posted September 16, 2016 Share Posted September 16, 2016 On 5/11/2016 at 0:25 PM, skwatra said: The live cam also has a link to a timelapse video on the top right that is definitely worth checking out. Very cool to see how the basement was done and built on to. Wow, thanks for the link. What an awesome time lapse cam ! I also love that get a bonus construction view of that huge high rise going up to the upper left side of the angle, I'm guessing west or northwest of the museum construction site. Well done thank you !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 I haven't been able to post any of my images for a while but I was driving around the old apartments today and noticed that they have been pulling all of the appliances and other materials out of the buildings just like they did for the first units that came down. They have also positioned several large dumpsters around the base of the apartments so I think they will be demolishing these soon. They also put ups new fencing on Richmond with Gilbane printed on it. There are several Menil apartments in the neighborhood up for rent currently, including a duplex unit right next door across from the park if anyone has interest in living in the Menil neighborhood. The one next door has only been on the market since yesterday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Update from yesterday. The apartment next door was rented yesterday. The Menil is going to start demo work on the apartments in December. Also they are going to start installing the siding on the drawing institute next week. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Quote http://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/Opening-date-set-for-Menil-Drawing-Institute-10619455.php Exposed steel framing and power cables provide the defining "lines" of the Menil Drawing Institute - for now. The building is surrounded by mud or sand, depending on the weather, and its signature canopies of angled white steel have not yet arrived. But the Menil announced Wednesday that its new $40 million facility will open Oct. 7, 2017, with an exclusive, landmark exhibition of drawings by Jasper Johns. Outside, the Menil will stage a neighborhood festival across its new park spaces.Between Richmond Avenue and West Main Street, which has been extended a few blocks eastward to Yupon, the Richmont Square apartment complex is being "surgically demolished" to save trees. Although the Menil plans to rebuild rental housing on that property someday, for at least a few years it will be a grassy picnic meadow. That property will also have a parking lot for 120 cars, plus a bike rental station. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Interior of the apartments gutted with a crew on site picking up the debris. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
architrist Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Are there any renderings for the high rise? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 They have been taking out all of the appliances, windows, doors, a.c.'s, and anything recyclable. Demo should be starting shortly. On another note, Barnett Newman's, Broken Obelisk, has returned to its home in the Rothko Chapel pool, after spending the last several months at Lippincott foundry where it was originally built. They had to repair several areas due to water damage. Its comforting seeing this great work back where it belongs. They also reported that this is the first phase of a project to improve lighting landscaping building a retreat all in time for the 50th anniversary. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 Demo permits obtained http://swamplot.com/daily-demolition-report-hung-out-to-dryden/2016-12-22/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post InSide Posted January 4, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted January 4, 2017 ...demo started yesterday! 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InSide Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 ..getting there! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Im going to miss watching all this go on over my fence but cant wait to move into our new 1950's home in Riverside Terrace. I watched 3 Osprey working the bend in Braes Bayou early this morning. They are amazing fishermen. I'll continue to monitor the progress on this new drawing center but won't be here to see them put the finishing touches to it. I did notice something interesting on my side of the building last week. They had installed a grid of boxes that apparently were for installing the skin. This last few days I watched them take all of them off of the building so either they weren't the right parts or they were installed in the wrong spots, but they had a crew taking them off. Like my father in law always said," Measure twice, cut once." Those are sage words to remember when working on projects of any size. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
architrist Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 What will the high rise look like? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 In my conversations with the Menil they have put that phase of the project on hold for a while. They had planned on a mixed use development with Hines but that fell through last year and so they felt they at least needed to clear the grounds around the new drawing center and make the area a temporary park space to eventually be developed. This was a casualty of the oil bust and the overdevelopment of new residential in the montrose and midtown area. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 2 hours ago, bobruss said: In my conversations with the Menil they have put that phase of the project on hold for a while. They had planned on a mixed use development with Hines but that fell through last year and so they felt they at least needed to clear the grounds around the new drawing center and make the area a temporary park space to eventually be developed. This was a casualty of the oil bust and the overdevelopment of new residential in the montrose and midtown area. It is too bad, because i am sure the menil +hines combo has some great potential. The upside is that when things rebound, hopefully projects like this will be quicker to come into fruition. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 And overall it's better to go ahead and clear the land because those apartments were falling apart. In time this project will take off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Exactly. This will clean up the area around the new drawing center, give the Menil a window on Richmond, and give the Rothko park a break. Maybe some of the people will spread out to the new one. It needs some tender loving care and I'm really frustrated about the big tree near my house that's not going to be here much longer. It is in distress and all of the people jumping, climbing and pulling on it have just about worn all of the bark off the trunk and when its gone its going to leave a big whole in the park. Ive been watching that tree since 1971 when we first lived across the street. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InSide Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 ...there are some new renderings at: http://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/menil-drawing-institute_o : 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HoustonMidtown Posted March 25, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted March 25, 2017 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyc_tex Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Anyone know when these apartments were built? Early 1970s? I had my first apartment in 1991 at Richmont Square. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Urbannizer Posted April 25, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted April 25, 2017 https://houston-texas-us.blogspot.com/2017/04/richmont-square-now-complex-free.html 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtNsf Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 13 hours ago, Urbannizer said: https://houston-texas-us.blogspot.com/2017/04/richmont-square-now-complex-free.html great site. so glad it looks like they might be saving a few gorgeous large trees as well ! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston? Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Will this site contain skyscrapers? I've not seen any renderings yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Down the road they do have plans for a mixed use project with at least a midrise on half of the property and leaving the other half for park land. I don't know if you noticed the allee of trees that has been planted on the eastern side of the park. I'm sure its going to be beautiful once its all done. Michael Van Valkenburg, who has worked on Turtle Creek in Dallas, and Waller creek in Houston and is know for his subtle approach, was hired to landscape the whole campus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Also I have heard rumblings that the house next to the one we just moved out of on Branard that faces the old park is going to be turned into a visiting scholar and artist home. This is right behind the new Drawing center. I cant wait till the drawing center opens. The exhibition at the Menil is an incredible show and I highly recommend it. It features the works that will form the base of the collection for the new drawing center. The work is from the Louisa Sarofim, Janie C. Lee, and David Whitney collections bequeathed to the Menil and are a truly remarkable body of works. . 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hindesky Posted November 18, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted November 18, 2017 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 Reminds me of 60's urban renewal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 I found a link to Michael Van Valkenburgh’s landscape plan for the site. Looks as though the highrise would border Richmond and shelter a park between it and the Drawing Institute: http://www.mvvainc.com/m/projects/7/112 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 On 12/30/2017 at 6:27 PM, houstontexasjack said: I found a link to Michael Van Valkenburgh’s landscape plan for the site. Looks as though the highrise would border Richmond and shelter a park between it and the Drawing Institute: http://www.mvvainc.com/m/projects/7/112 Love the models that they did for it. You can tell they were very invested in this project. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Triton Posted February 23, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted February 23, 2018 By Bill Barfield on Flickr: Menil Drawing Institute (Under construction) by bill barfield, on Flickr 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WshfulThnkn Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Beautiful! Thanks for the pic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 (edited) The Menil Museum has closed for the next year for a total resurfacing of the floors in the Menil. The interior non structural walls will also be removed during this project. The Menil had their closing party last night. Edited February 24, 2018 by bobruss 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 3 hours ago, bobruss said: The Menil Museum has closed for the next year for a total resurfacing of the floors in the Menil. The interior non structural walls will also be removed during this project. The Menil had their closing party last night. Closed until autumn 2018. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 And the Drawing Center was supposed to be open last October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Menil Drawing Institute to open Nov. 3https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Menil-Drawing-Institute-to-open-Nov-3-12876282.php 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talltexan83 Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Does anyone have insight into how the Menil plans to use the open green space between Richmond Ave. and the Menil? Are they going to leave it "as is" and leave it open to the public or is there going to be a material investment in landscape design, new plantings, etc? Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 1 hour ago, talltexan83 said: Does anyone have insight into how the Menil plans to use the open green space between Richmond Ave. and the Menil? Are they going to leave it "as is" and leave it open to the public or is there going to be a material investment in landscape design, new plantings, etc? Thanks! Pretty sure there was talk of them building a tower at one point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 4 hours ago, wilcal said: Pretty sure there was talk of them building a tower at one point. Yes, it would be on Richmond. The landscape architecture firm has a hint of the master plan on its page: http://www.mvvainc.com/project.php?id=112&c=cultural 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talltexan83 Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 This is very helpful. It looks like they are planning to extend Colquitt St to Yupon. I also like how they plan to turn the parking lot for the Flavin installation into green space and turn Loretto into a walking path only. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 The Drawing Institute opened last night and it was worth the wait. It was a little hard to get a feel for the galleries and the Jasper John show for all of the buzz. People everywhere and the tent out front was hopping to the sounds of Zydeco Dot. One thing that I realized was the way the new building helps the Twombley building open up to its surroundings and the passage from the Twombley to the Drawing Institue passed the wonderful live Oak is breathtaking. This new vista allows the roof of the Twombley to show off glowing in the dusk it really floats when viewing from the Drawing Institute. The main galleries are beautiful clean and simple, but a remarkable space. It fits right in with the surroundings and will truly be a magnet. I love the way the campus is much more unified and the fact the you can see the Richmond hall across the street and the Menil tucked behind the Twombley gives the campus more depth and presence. The landscaping is nice and the open spaces contribute to the airiness. As we stood in the Twombley in the middle of the large gallery pretty much by ourselves I remarked how lucky we are to live in a city surrounding by a campus of world class architecture filled with important art and it's all feee. It cant get much better. Go see it soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, bobruss said: The Drawing Institute opened last night and it was worth the wait. It was a little hard to get a feel for the galleries and the Jasper John show for all of the buzz. People everywhere and the tent out front was hopping to the sounds of Zydeco Dot. One thing that I realized was the way the new building helps the Twombley building open up to its surroundings and the passage from the Twombley to the Drawing Institue passed the wonderful live Oak is breathtaking. This new vista allows the roof of the Twombley to show off glowing in the dusk it really floats when viewing from the Drawing Institute. The main galleries are beautiful clean and simple, but a remarkable space. It fits right in with the surroundings and will truly be a magnet. I love the way the campus is much more unified and the fact the you can see the Richmond hall across the street and the Menil tucked behind the Twombley gives the campus more depth and presence. The landscaping is nice and the open spaces contribute to the airiness. As we stood in the Twombley in the middle of the large gallery pretty much by ourselves I remarked how lucky we are to live in a city surrounding by a campus of world class architecture filled with important art and it's all feee. It cant get much better. Go see it soon. Saw it today. Its quite a nice building. I think the actual gallery space is a bit m e h, but I love the atriums! The use of materials is also nice. They even mimicked the wood planks that are on the original Menil at the back part of the building. Edited November 3, 2018 by Luminare 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 Drove by the south end of the complex on Richmond, and they've completely cleaned the lot where the former apartments were and put in a green chain link fence the entire length of the south side of the property. I think that their plan is still to develop residential/commercial combo along Richmond. Have to think that they'll take a bit of a breather after this rash of current activity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rechlin Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 I went on Sunday afternoon. I expected it to be crazy busy since it just opened on Saturday, but it had surprisingly few visitors. I really like the architecture. Photo from the front: Photo from the other side: Photo inside the main hall (that "sculpture" on the left is really cool, especially the shadows it casts): The empty lot next door has a couple of the "channels" in it similar to what's in the lawn just north of the main Menil building: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchFan Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) I like the design, but there is something that bugs me ... which is very common in Houston. The first two pics show what I think is mildew, which is surprising for a new building. I have my own ongoing battle with mildew on the concrete balconies of my condo. Chlorine bleach applied with a stiff brush is the best solution I've found for the smooth surfaces at my place. I suspect that solution is a bit more difficult for some of our older buildings that have facades of fossiliferous limestone (e.g., City Hall and older ones at UH). As I recall, the facade of City Hall was cleaned by power-washing (or maybe even sand-blasting) years ago. That's very destructive to the surface. My place has some exterior surfaces that are artificial stone (actually cement) that some guys cleaned by power-washing, but it was obvious that the process eroded the surface and left it less smooth. Edited November 8, 2018 by ArchFan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, ArchFan said: I like the design, but there is something that bugs me ... which is very common in Houston. The first two pics show what I think is mildew, which is surprising for a new building. I have my own ongoing battle with mildew on the concrete balconies of my condo. Chlorine bleach applied with a stiff brush is the best solution I've found for the smooth surfaces at my place. I suspect that solution is a bit more difficult for some of our older buildings that have facades of fossiliferous limestone (e.g., City Hall and older ones at UH). As I recall, the facade of City Hall was cleaned by power-washing (or maybe even sand-blasting) years ago. That's very destructive to the surface. My place has some exterior surfaces that are artificial stone (actually cement) that some guys cleaned by power-washing, but it was obvious that the process eroded the surface and left it less smooth. That is the natural material finish. What you are seeing is the light refracting off of the soffit panel that is up there and light bouncing off the rocks/plants in the atrium's. In other words its suppose to be that way. In fact because of the reflectance you can faintly see the creases of the material on the soffit panel and even on the walls. I took a bunch of photos of this building and will be posting more on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zewzewarch/. Its a very well designed building. It also goes along pretty well with the firms other projects. They definitely have a consistent style: http://www.johnstonmarklee.com/ Edited November 8, 2018 by Luminare 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Archfan. If your talking bout the underside of the roof, around the courtyards...that’s not mildew. Those surfaces are actually reflective which looks dark or smudged in the photos. I also see what may appear to be growth on one of the exterior surfaces, which is a shadow of a tree. I was there last weekend and didn’t notice any mildew, anywhere. The place is as blindingly white and a trump fever rally in a snowstorm. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtNsf Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 2 hours ago, Naviguessor said: Archfan. If your talking bout the underside of the roof, around the courtyards...that’s not mildew. Those surfaces are actually reflective which looks dark or smudged in the photos. I also see what may appear to be growth on one of the exterior surfaces, which is a shadow of a tree. I was there last weekend and didn’t notice any mildew, anywhere. The place is as blindingly white and a trump fever rally in a snowstorm. Good one ! Brought a smile to my face on a hard working Thursday LOL thank you ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Went by last night on my bike and the new drawing institute was beautiful! Really nice structure. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Just got back from a more relaxed and unencumbered visit. I think this building really fits well into the overall campus. I missed the cinder plot with the Michael Heizer sculptures the other night. They take up a relatively large space just to the east of the building. There has been discussion between the artist and the Menil in the past about the way they had installed the two earth works in the front lawn of the Menil. He wanted it to be a perfectly flat space with cinders for a very flat clean surface with no undulation. Obviously a grass covered surface does not provide that type of surface. Looks like they followed his wishes in the new installation. I also like the simple way they honored the largest donors to the building along the sidewalk up to the entrance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iah77 Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Is the exterior surface supposed to look like that? Looks like soggy cardboard to me with the undulating ripples. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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