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.
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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Photography: Casey Dunn
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.
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