Museum Of Fine Arts Houston At 1001 Bissonnet St.

[Texasota]

Flakey Lato?

 

seems like the most likely choice

[Houston19514]

A little more info, courtesy of First Presbyterian Church:

 

As we have known, the main new building will be on the site of the current surface parking lot between the MFAH's Law Building and First Presbyterian Church.  MFAH also apparently plans to build a new Glassell School building (Query, will this replace or be in addition to the current Glassell)?   The new Glassell School and underground parking facility will be to the west of First Presbyterian, presumably on what is currently the Glassell's surface lot.  The MFAH is seeking to acquire the portion of the Roseland Street right of way that abuts the back of that lot.

 

The action is to start this fall, with the relocation of the church's utilities, followed by the relocation of the Museum's utilities and the construction of the new Glassell School and underground parking facility.  Then the new building and underground parking on the Main/Bissonnet lot.

 

The Museum is in the quiet phase of their capital campaign (that's when they take the plans to the major donors and and get the big money gifts).  We'll hear a lot more about it when they get to the public phase of the capital campaign.

[largeTEXAS]

(Query, will this replace or be in addition to the current Glassell)?   

 

The current Glassell building will be torn down and in its place will be a new courtyard for the new building which will be built in the current parking lot to the north and east of the current building. The new Glassell building's design currently has a sloped green roof that connects to the sculpture garden. That could all change with cost, but it's pretty freakin' awesome looking. 

[Houston19514]

The current Glassell building will be torn down and in its place will be a new courtyard for the new building which will be built in the current parking lot to the north and east of the current building. The new Glassell building's design currently has a sloped green roof that connects to the sculpture garden. That could all change with cost, but it's pretty freakin' awesome looking. 

 

Sweet!  Man, this is sounding really exciting!

 

[bachanon]

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/09-13-13-a-surprise-look-at-mfahs-new-upside-down-triangle-building-design-sends-artists-into-a-tizzy/

 

Although no actual picture is shared on culturemap's website, apparently the new design is an upside-down triangle.  Interesting.  Look forward to seeing an actual rendering!

[jerNspace]

so ready to see how this building is coming along. post post post!!!

[Naviguessor]

This could easily be the most important building built in Houston the past 30 years. Maybe more...

[Texasota]

I'm really looking forward to this, but the Menil was built in the last 30 years, so cant agree with that

[strickn]

And by a designer whose firsthand soaking-up of locality probably began since 2011...  I would have liked to see what Chung and Chuong Nguyen, architects with a deeper sense of Houston, would have formed here.  Probably something less monolithic or hammily organic.

[livincinco]

And by a designer whose firsthand soaking-up of locality probably began since 2011... I would have liked to see what Chung and Chuong Nguyen, architects with a deeper sense of Houston, would have formed here. Probably something less monolithic or hammily organic.

I take it then that you've actually seen the design since you're criticizing it. Can you provide some more detail about it?

[ArchFan]

And by a designer whose firsthand soaking-up of locality probably began since 2011...  I would have liked to see what Chung and Chuong Nguyen, architects with a deeper sense of Houston, would have formed here.  Probably something less monolithic or hammily organic.

 

"Hammily organic" is hard to interpret.  Can you elaborate?

 

On the more general topic, it seems to me that a lot of people here would like to see a showy, starchitect-style building here.  I admit to feeling a pull in that direction, as well.  But ... I also would not want something that was shiny and flashy when it was built, while ultimately being painful to look at and/or an embarrassment later on ...

[strickn]

I saw, or heard or whatever, the Finnish theorist Juhani Pallasmaa lecture a few years ago.  I've heard he has big influence on Holl.

 

Pallasmaa made no sense to me at all, but Holl says, "Architecture depends on intuition."  He makes intuitive sketches using watercolors, and because he calls the shots, the firm details them into final form.  "So they go from my watercolor directly into a 3D computer drawing. That drawing goes into our 3D printer and in a matter of, say, twelve hours, in the time that I’m flying, I can have a model waiting for me when I arrive back at the office."  He has six people to do that.  Anyway, he has already auctioned off a concept drawing of the intuitively rendered MFAH.  All I'm saying is, don't be gobsmacked if the new wing looks a little like a piece of cheese.

[strickn]

As I think about Pallasmaa more, however, he seems like not a bad influence to have.  And I don't know that he would necessarily condone preserving the spirit of your first impression of a project, for instance.  You ought to read up on him, if only to understand better what we're about to see on Main Street.

[strickn]

If you want more general details, by the way, the Museum District subforum version of this conversation is an excellent thread.

[Texasota]

Have you been in any of his buildings? He tends to be responsive to site, and I love his detailing. A two year old watercolor massing sketch doesn't really say much.

[Subdude]

If you want more general details, by the way, the Museum District subforum version of this conversation is an excellent thread.

 

Merged 'em.

[Houston19514]

I saw, or heard or whatever, the Finnish theorist Juhani Pallasmaa lecture a few years ago.  I've heard he has big influence on Holl.

 

Pallasmaa made no sense to me at all, but Holl says, "Architecture depends on intuition."  He makes intuitive sketches using watercolors, and because he calls the shots, the firm details them into final form.  "So they go from my watercolor directly into a 3D computer drawing. That drawing goes into our 3D printer and in a matter of, say, twelve hours, in the time that I’m flying, I can have a model waiting for me when I arrive back at the office."  He has six people to do that.  Anyway, he has already auctioned off a concept drawing of the intuitively rendered MFAH.  All I'm saying is, don't be gobsmacked if the new wing looks a little like a piece of cheese.

 

This forum's deep negativity and rush to attack and criticize every building project in this city never ceases to amaze.  We are quite used to attacks on renderings, and attacks on uncompleted buildings...

 

but now we are getting attacks on planned buildings based on having seen or heard "or whatever" a lecture by a theorist who, according to rumor, has a big influence on the work of the project's architect?????? 

[livincinco]

This forum's deep negativity and rush to attack and criticize every building project in this city never ceases to amaze. We are quite used to attacks on renderings, and attacks on uncompleted buildings...

but now we are getting attacks on planned buildings based on having seen or heard "or whatever" a lecture by a theorist who, according to rumor, has a big influence on the work of the project's architect??????

Well...yes...based on this information, the building is clearly going to suck. How could anyone conclude anything different???

[luciaphile]

This forum's deep negativity and rush to attack and criticize every building project in this city never ceases to amaze.  We are quite used to attacks on renderings, and attacks on uncompleted buildings...

 

but now we are getting attacks on planned buildings based on having seen or heard "or whatever" a lecture by a theorist who, according to rumor, has a big influence on the work of the project's architect?????? 

 

I am usually indifferent to the internecine stuff on HAIF, but I find, to my astonishment, that I want to put in a word for strickn, maybe because just a few minutes ago, oblivious to this thread, I enjoyed the background he provided here: http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/28750-structural-logic-of-600-travis/.

Although his insistence on the idea of respecting place loses me in an urban Texas context (though, strictly speaking, this is one of "my" places, right there: baptized by Dr. Lancaster at First Presbyterian church, where, mulishness already intact by kindergarten, my mouth full of vanilla sandwich cookie, I remember quizzing my Sunday school teacher, why did God need a Son of God - why was God not sufficient?), his posts are more interesting, and certainly more literate, than the standard, "This is going to be sweet, this is frickin' awesome."

His musings about Steve Holl's design process sent me in search of further information, and I suddenly remembered that, although my interest in architecture is not deep like y'all's, but just a facet of general cultural interest, I had read years ago a New Yorker piece about another museum addition Holl did in Kansas City. Let's just say, General Reader was not carried away by it, though appreciating that everything is still up-to-date in Kansas City.

So, whelmed or underwhelmed by the new building, I look forward to strickn's thoughts on it, if he feels it's worth his bother.

Edited September 16, 2013 by luciaphile

[strickn]

19514 says my process of forming conclusions is premature, tossed off.  I at least imply likewise that Holl's process of forming conclusions is premature, tossed off.  So at least we match.  I don't know if that creates a double negative for him or not.  

 

The gist of my original post was in a similar vein with the 600 Travis thread:  to try to get folks to imagining what justice a designer (I suggested MC2 architects) could have done after marinating in Houston's very personal public contradictions.  When Holl built in Dallas he practiced a much more carefully composed approach, whereas now he may believe that the only way to take all details into account is to go with your gut.  Maybe the only way to do justice to Houston's haste is to shoot from the hip, after all;  or maybe it's a double negative instead.

 

I apologize for the half of my remark that rushed to judge.  The point of the whole comment was in the opposite spirit:  that sustained attention pays dividends.

[luciaphile]

So if the architect is at the (no doubt well-earned) tossing-off stage of his career, that may "do justice to Houston's haste"? You have hedged your bets, strickn.

Interpret us, for us: that sounds like more than Steve Holl is paid to do. But as a native and layperson I am casually curious to know how this might be done.

However, if all the marinating produced only nods to the heat and the usual stuff about boomtowns and youthful energy, unbeholden to the past, etc. -- I would just as soon admire Holl's building in absolute isolation, with no accompanying text.

 

 

[infinite_jim]

The main concern should be how he integrates the sculpture garden into the complex. Everything else will be tunnel connected.

[Naviguessor]

I think this will be much more than a new building where a parking lot now stands. I'm quite sure that it'll be a whole streetscape which should unify a campus of buildings. I have no idea how that'll be done, but I believe that that was part of the commission. Jim, it sounds like integrating the awesome sculpture garden is a primary concern.

[fernz]

As important as the urban environment is, the main concern should be that the artwork in the building is properly displayed and conserved; which I would venture to say is one if the reasons Holl was selected. Along with Renzo Piano, he is one of the few architects who really understands and masters the use of natural lighting.

Edited September 17, 2013 by fernz

[ArchFan]

I saw, or heard or whatever, the Finnish theorist Juhani Pallasmaa lecture a few years ago.  I've heard he has big influence on Holl.

 

Pallasmaa made no sense to me at all, but Holl says, "Architecture depends on intuition."  He makes intuitive sketches using watercolors, and because he calls the shots, the firm details them into final form.  "So they go from my watercolor directly into a 3D computer drawing. That drawing goes into our 3D printer and in a matter of, say, twelve hours, in the time that I’m flying, I can have a model waiting for me when I arrive back at the office."  He has six people to do that.  Anyway, he has already auctioned off a concept drawing of the intuitively rendered MFAH.  All I'm saying is, don't be gobsmacked if the new wing looks a little like a piece of cheese.

 

Hmmm ... if it were Swiss cheese, it might be interesting :-)

[LarryDierker]

It's obviously cheddar.

[Subdude]

Note duplicate topics merged.

 

 

[Urbannizer]

Museum Fine Arts General Plan is listed on the latest plat summary report, I'm guessing it has something to do with this topic.

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/DevelopRegs/docs_pdfs/drcreport.xls

[Texasota]

Planning Commission just granted 0' lot line variance on Montrose for new Glassell. Showed some renderings. New building as described earlier in the thread; second floor then cantilevers out toward Montrose.

 

Rep said construction in 2015; total campus finished 2019.

[cloud713]

2019?!? why so long? link to the renderings/planning commission documents?