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5/27/2011 Houston — Cornelia Long, chair of the Board of
Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, announced at yesterday’s
annual meeting of the board that the MFAH has selected three
architecture firms—Morphosis, Snøhetta and Steven Holl Architects—to
submit conceptual design proposals for an expanded MFAH. The project
entails the construction of a building intended primarily for post-1900
art, a parking garage and the integration of surrounding MFAH buildings
and public spaces. The decision follows several years of focused
internal discussion to assess the museum’s future needs, and a yearlong
series of interviews with 10 international architecture firms.
“This decision marks an important step forward
for the future MFAH,” said Richard D. Kinder,
chair of the museum’s long-range planning committee. “Even before Rafael Moneo’s Audrey Jones Beck Building opened, in 2000, MFAH director Peter Marzio and the board
recognized that it would not be the final step in expanding the MFAH. With the collections now numbering some 63,000 objects—more than half of them works of art created after 1900—the need for a building dedicated to these expanding collections is unquestioned.”
Each of the three firms will be asked to develop
site-specific concepts for the new building, garage and
integration of the surrounding buildings and public
spaces. The new museum building will occupy a two acre,
museum-owned site now being used as a parking
lot.
“This decision marks an important step forward
for the future MFAH,” said Richard D. Kinder,
chair of the museum’s long-range planning committee. “Even before Rafael Moneo’s Audrey Jones Beck Building opened, in 2000, MFAH director Peter Marzio and the board
recognized that it would not be the final step in expanding the MFAH. With the collections now numbering some 63,000 objects—more than half of them works of art created after 1900—the need for a building dedicated to these expanding collections is unquestioned.”
Each of the three firms will be asked to develop
site-specific concepts for the new building, garage and
integration of the surrounding buildings and public
spaces. The new museum building will occupy a two acre,
museum-owned site now being used as a parking
lot.
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