Snøhetta plants 12 giant 'petals' in Austin

The Blanton Museum was already one of the foremost art institutions in Texas when it began its $35 million renovation three years ago. Now it’s an architectural treasure as well, with a new central hub designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta on its 200,000-sq-ft grounds. The big reveal symbolises Austin’s evolution and growth as a major culture and tech hub.

A centrepiece of the University of Texas campus at Austin, the new scheme is defined by 12 petal-shaped towers, contemporary riffs on the museum’s traditional arched loggia. These 40-foot structures form a shaded microclimate in the extreme heat and filter rainwater to an underground filtration system. They also tie together the museum’s two buildings while presenting them to the city at large.

The project was commissioned by museum director Simone Wicha as a focal point and unifying courtyard for the museum grounds. Wicha is known for working with artist Ellsworth Kelly on his only building, Austin, a monolithic church-like presence characterised by multicoloured stained glass, located on the museum’s north side.

New walkways connect the new installation with Kelly’s Austin, Carmen Herrera’s site-specific mural Verde, que te quiero verde, and a sound sculpture by Bill Fontana. More than 25,000 new plants were added to the gardens. Most – like the dwarf palmetto and Cherokee sedge – are native to the state.