New home planned for museum
By CHRIS VAUGHN
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
FORT WORTH - The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the first arrival in what evolved into the Cultural District, will be torn down next year to make way for a $65 million building that its leaders promise to be breathtaking in appearance and expansive in its programs.
The building will reportedly be designed by Ricardo Legorreta, a renowned Mexican architect known for his marriage of modernism with ancient Latin American styles.
The museum board has already launched a capital campaign, led by David and Stacie McDavid, to raise the money necessary for a signature building in an architecturally celebrated neighborhood with creations from Philip Johnson, Louis Kahn and Tadao Ando.
The plans, to be announced at the museum this afternoon, represent a 180-degree reversal from the more modest expansion and renovation that the museum envisioned just a few years ago.
"It was an analytical decision, not an emotional one," said Van Romans, president of the museum. "The more we looked at it, the more money we were going to have to spend to retrofit an old building. That money could instead go into a new building. That and the richness of our programs led me to the conclusion that we needed to better spotlight them in a new facility."
All that will remain of the 52-year-old museum building is the Omni Theater, which was added in 1983 and became the first of its kind in the Southwest. The new building, at 137,000 square feet, will include a planetarium and much more prominent space for Museum School.
Demolition is expected to begin in mid-2007, with construction starting later in the year. It is expected to take two years.
Museum leaders promise that a new building will reinvigorate the museum's mission, which many board members had begun to see as stagnant and contributing to the slip in attendance a few years ago.
Bob Lansford, chairman of the 30-member board and a trust advisor with JP Morgan, said he believes the community will support the fund-raising campaign.
"There's more excitement about this capital campaign than any one I've worked on," Lansford said. "People have very strong feelings for this museum, and I think it's going to pay off when we get out there."
The news was greeted warmly by Ron Tyler, the director of the Amon Carter Museum.
"As a neighbor, this is an exciting development," Tyler said. "I look forward to seeing the new building, and I know it will greatly enhance their programs."
The Museum of Science and History opened in 1954, before the Amon Carter Museum or Kimbell Art Museum, with funding from city bonds. It attracts more than 800,000 people a year, including 150,000 schoolchildren on field trips.
But museum officials have said that the building's low ceilings, cramped gallery space and awkward additions have compromised their ability to attract and properly exhibit traveling shows.
Six years ago, the museum started a $26 million capital campaign to renovate and expand the building and awarded the commission to the Lake/Flato architectural firm, a well-regarded and award-winning company in San Antonio.
The museum ran into financial problems that started in 2001 and lasted into 2004, and the capital campaign withered amid higher-profile projects such as the new Modern Art Museum, the Fort Worth Zoo's Texas Wild and the Amon Carter Museum expansion.
Attendance fell sharply, particularly at the Omni Theater. Corporate giving decreased, competition among family-friendly attractions grew tougher and the museum ran a deficit that tapped its bank reserves.
Long-time director Don Otto resigned in 2003, replaced a year later by Romans, who had been an executive with Walt Disney Co. but had ties to Fort Worth.
The museum's plans to expand were halted until Romans could put together a strategic plan and return the museum to at least a break-even point.
The museum has run a surplus the last two years, officials said.
"It was imperative that we have new leadership, who would bring a new perspective, bring innovation and inject excitement into the museum's mission," said Bill Meadows, a board member and Fort Worth businessman. "The board did that in finding Van Romans. The second mission was to make sure the museum was on a firm financial footing on a sustaining basis."
Lord Cultural Resources, a museum consulting firm in Toronto, was hired to formulate recommendations for the museum's future. None was more important than the recommendation to start over with a new building, Romans said.
"They felt we needed a dedicated space for our learning programs," he said. "They also wanted us to reinvigorate and highlight our history collections. They said, 'You really need a new facility.' Let alone the place leaks."
The original designs for an expansion from Lake/Flato were scrapped.
"They made a decision to go in a different direction," said Kim Monroe, a partner in the firm. "It's the way the process works."
Monroe said museum officials told him they had selected Legorreta, a man he described as a "wonderful architect."
Among Legorreta's buildings are the Marriott Solana hotel and complex in Westlake, the central library in downtown San Antonio and the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas.
He also was a finalist in the selection process to design the new Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
"Fort Worth needs to have one of his buildings," Monroe said.
Museum officials would not confirm that they chose Legorreta, only describing the architect as "world renowned," having "done a lot of museum work around the world" and flying in "from another country."
While the museum is under construction, it will largely be off-limits to the public.
However, the Omni Theater will remain open, and the Museum School will be moved to portable classrooms just south of the building.
The museum also plans to continue its professional development programs for teachers and increase its use of Discovery Labs on Wheels program and distance-learning programs via the Internet.
"The only thing we're still working on is whether we will have any component of our exhibits open for students" at another location, said Margaret Ritsch, a spokeswoman for the museum.
IN THE KNOW
Museum of Science and History through the years
1945 - The Fort Worth Children's Museum opens in two classrooms at De Zavala Elementary School.
1952 - Groundbreaking ceremony for museum at 1501 Montgomery St.
1954 - New building opens to the public.
1955 - Noble Planetarium opens.
1960 - Education wing added to the museum.
1964 - Two-story building for exhibits and collections added.
1968 - Name changed to Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
1983 - Omni Theater dedicated.
1990 - Museum begins charging admission.
New building for Museum of Science and History
#1
Posted 04 May 2006 - 07:49 AM
#2
Posted 04 May 2006 - 09:06 AM
They commit to the project, so I guess whatever they can't raise in donations, our taxes will pay?
And, what are they going to do about the old lawn/parking lot north of the museum. Its a mess.
#3
Posted 04 May 2006 - 09:33 AM
The lot between the MSH and the old Modern is where the National Archives facility will be built.
#4
Posted 04 May 2006 - 10:37 AM
Max Palevsky Residential Commons, University of Chicago:
More interior images and exterior images from the University of Chicago web site.
The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose CA:
San Antonio Public Library Central Branch:
Of course, a quick Google search will reveal many more. I used these because most resources on Wikipedia may be freely redistributed without copyright concerns. I'm interested in hearing what others on the forum think of the architect's work.
#5
Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:00 AM
I'm curious to see what the design is, but I like his work. I think that we'll see a facility that looks like nothing else in the Cultural District and that's a good thing. If everything that has been proposed for the CD in past several months (Archives facility, MSH, 2nd Kimbell building, the big mixed use project) comes to pass, I'll be thrilled.
#6
Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:02 AM
#7
Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:21 AM
#8
Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:36 AM
#9
Posted 04 May 2006 - 12:37 PM
We'll see, I 'spose.
--
Kara B.
#10
Posted 04 May 2006 - 12:46 PM
The lot between the MSH and the old Modern is where the National Archives facility will be built.
Oh, more reduction of convenient parking for normal museum and will rodgers auditorium activities.
Its already tight since they made the lot have a boulevard entrance, and plopped the cowgirl museum in the parking lot. Parking across Harley may be OK for once-a-year Stock Show, but is not convenient for museum school and WRMC auditorium stuff during the rest of the year.
I know I'm in the minority on this forum when talking convenient parking lots vs. "urban" design.
#11
Posted 04 May 2006 - 04:29 PM
#12
Posted 04 May 2006 - 06:23 PM
I also don't think the San Antonio Public Library, the Tech Musem, or U Chicago are his best work. In fact, they might be his worst. His residential is all fantastic. The Solana stuff is pretty cool too. I think he's an excellent choice and can't wait to see what he comes up with. It will definitely be a contrast to Kahn, Johnson, and Ando.
#13
Posted 04 May 2006 - 06:32 PM
In this case, friends with friends. Of course thinking it through, some of the homes may have been actually been Barragan designed.
#14
Posted 04 May 2006 - 07:47 PM
#15
Posted 04 May 2006 - 11:57 PM
I do like most of Legoretta's work. The San Antonio Library is probably my least favorite, and I do tend to agree with some of the comments here about it. Another building that he designed that is viewable and close is the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas.
AAAARGH! I knew that must have been one of Legoretta's buildings! I had never noticed it before, but after looking up his work on the web this afternoon I passed that building while a passenger in a car and the colors and shape caught my attention.
Overall, I am unimpressed with the larger institutional buildings he has done. I have no experience with his residences, but think they probably work better. The colorful adobe with small intermittent windows motif he specializes in just doesn't seem to translate well in grand scale. Hopefully, he will recieve some guidance from the patrons at the museum on what will work well in Fort Worth. Maybe if he tours the Kimbell, the Carter, and the Modern ahead of time he will pick up some inspiration.
#16
Posted 05 May 2006 - 12:14 PM
#18
Posted 08 May 2006 - 10:25 AM
#19
Posted 08 May 2006 - 04:21 PM
On the other hand, the rest of the museums are all designed by internationally renown architects so I can see why the Muesum of Science and History would want to add their jewel to the Cultural District Crown instead of being the only museum without an internationally renown architect. Of course, that's my assumption... who designed the Museum of Science and History? Anyone famous? It doesn't strike me as a particularly significant building architectually like the Carter, Kimbell, or Modern.
#20
Posted 09 May 2006 - 07:32 AM
Overall, I am unimpressed with the larger institutional buildings he has done.
I'm torn between my desire for architectural diveristy in the museum area and my desire for buildings that I personally like. Although I don't like his style (from the pictures) a little color in that area might not be a bad idea.
One of my concerns is about the durability of the exterior materials on those buildings. How tough is taht stuff? I firmly believe that buildings of this sort should be designed to last 200 - 400 years. That's what I like about the Kimball and the Modern. They look like they could survive indefinitely with just a little exterior cleaning once in a while.
#21
Posted 09 May 2006 - 08:04 AM
http://www.marco.org.mx
#22
Posted 09 May 2006 - 09:15 AM
--
Kara B.
#23
Posted 09 May 2006 - 09:19 AM
Instead of looking at internet photos, drive out to Solana and "walk" the project. Looking at images cannot really "capture" how all the elements of his architecture work. You may still not be converted, but you may find yourself impressed. I personally find Bass Hall middling, but I am impressed with it overall and recognize the elements. The same can be said for Ando's Modern, although I have come around to actually liking it now.
#24 ghughes
Posted 09 May 2006 - 09:27 AM
#25
Posted 09 May 2006 - 10:03 AM
#26
Posted 09 May 2006 - 11:44 AM
Overall, I am unimpressed with the larger institutional buildings he has done.
I'm torn between my desire for architectural diveristy in the museum area and my desire for buildings that I personally like. Although I don't like his style (from the pictures) a little color in that area might not be a bad idea.
One of my concerns is about the durability of the exterior materials on those buildings. How tough is taht stuff? I firmly believe that buildings of this sort should be designed to last 200 - 400 years. That's what I like about the Kimball and the Modern. They look like they could survive indefinitely with just a little exterior cleaning once in a while.
I would think that FW could find an architect that could design something both different and attractivene to the general public. The general public should not have to "acquire" a taste for a public museum just because its designed by a "famous" architect. Sure, people expect that a museum will have a different design flair, but it doesn't have to be bland or ugly. We wouldn't want the people of FW to have to constantly justify a big red block by saying "... but, it's a famous architect's work."
As for durabiliy of buildings, I think that idea went out many, many decades ago. Current society is too fickle to want to keep something to 100s of years anymore. Too much money in the newer-is-better approach. Planned obsolescence.
#27
Posted 09 May 2006 - 12:51 PM
Glee:
Instead of looking at internet photos, drive out to Solana and "walk" the project. Looking at images cannot really "capture" how all the elements of his architecture work. You may still not be converted, but you may find yourself impressed. I personally find Bass Hall middling, but I am impressed with it overall and recognize the elements. The same can be said for Ando's Modern, although I have come around to actually liking it now.
If I ever get the chance, I'll have to check out Solana in person. I've always heard great things, but photos of it have always underwhelmed me.
I love the Bass Hall - in fact, I pretty much love most of David Schwartz's other buildings, too. Not that most of them are groundbreaking masterpieces, but because I think they're lovely and play in to my own personal favorite architectural styles (pre-'50s architecture of all types is my fav). The Cowgirl Museum is one of my favorite museums in the CD because it's just so pretty, IMHO. I don't care if it's a bleeding-edge signature work or not - it's just a lovely little building.
I actually also love the Modern, perhaps because of its Japanese simplicity. I also dig the Kimbell, and the Carter's pretty good, too.
Most of Legorreta's buildings have, like I said, made me think of what Burnett Plaza would look like if it had been built by the Aztecs. Since I despise Burnett Plaza for a variety of reasons, this perhaps doesn't make me very receptive of Mr. Legorreta's buildings, so I'll freely admit I may just not be giving them the chance. If I get the opportunity, I'll check out Solana.
--
Kara B.
#28
Posted 09 May 2006 - 01:28 PM
#29
Posted 09 May 2006 - 05:22 PM
Glee:
Instead of looking at internet photos, drive out to Solana and "walk" the project. Looking at images cannot really "capture" how all the elements of his architecture work. You may still not be converted, but you may find yourself impressed. I personally find Bass Hall middling, but I am impressed with it overall and recognize the elements. The same can be said for Ando's Modern, although I have come around to actually liking it now.
I'm there at least 3x per week and unfortunately I'm not impressed.
#30
Posted 19 March 2007 - 04:53 PM
#31
Posted 19 March 2007 - 05:40 PM
Does anyone remember the midnight showing of the Pink Floyd Laser Light Show they used to have at the Noble Planetarium? Does anyone have any idea if they have intentions of bringing that back?
Unlikely. Richard Van Zant, the guy who programmed the lasers for that, now owns/operates the Ridglea Theater. The Science & History Museum cut ties with him several years ago after some small controversy about racy rock shows at the Ridglea. I found that kinda ridiculous, but what's done is done I guess.
#32
Posted 10 April 2007 - 05:22 PM
http://www.star-tele...tory/63921.html
good stuff.
more pictures here:
http://www.fwmuseum....ent_images.html
#33
Posted 10 April 2007 - 07:00 PM
--
Kara B.
#34
Posted 10 April 2007 - 07:35 PM
#35
Posted 10 April 2007 - 09:55 PM
#36
Posted 10 April 2007 - 10:17 PM
#37
Posted 11 April 2007 - 08:00 AM
#38
Posted 11 April 2007 - 09:37 AM
So, for now - I don't hate it. Beyond that, I'm not sure. I might be warming up to it a bit the more I look over the renderings.
--
Kara B.
#39
Posted 11 April 2007 - 04:56 PM
I sure hope that they pay some attention to the Montgomery side so the the neighborhod has something pleasant facing. The scale is huge.
They've also taken away quite a bit of the convenient parking for families toting small kids.
In the meantime have you seen how they painted the temporary trailer buildings all colorful?
#40
Posted 11 April 2007 - 08:42 PM
Here I am to play the youngish curmudgeon for the umpteenth time, but does anyone really think the Cowgirl Museum is still going to be the Cowgirl Museum in twenty years? To me it's something that a town of 2500 people would have, like a Museum of Cotton or somesuch. I honestly cannot think of a single reason why I would ever want to spend even a minute of my time there when there is so much else to do in this town and so much of it nearby (next door even).
That doesn't change the fact that the FWSH's new building will likely overwhelm the Cowgirl Museum building, whatever may be in that building at whatever time; but it does make me less inclined to think it's cause for much concern, frankly.
And when I was young, I walked uphill and into the wind both to and from school, dangit. And I liked it!
Curmudgeonly yours,
#41
Posted 11 April 2007 - 09:13 PM
#42
Posted 11 April 2007 - 09:23 PM
#43
Posted 11 April 2007 - 09:42 PM
#44
Posted 12 April 2007 - 07:22 AM
Frankly, I'm underwhelmed. It's Legoretta...I was expecting something bold and colorful, it would have added an interesting dimension to the already stunning collection of architecture in the Cultural District. But no - he has to go for something that "fits right in." Seems like a missed opportunity to me. At least the tower will be eye-catching, all lit up at night.
I'm with Johnny. I like the tower element, but its kinda blah, IMO, especially for an architect known for being so bold. It always seems architects and developers do less impressive projects in FW (the Kimbell and Modern exluded).
I also agree with cbellomy about the cowgirl museum. Do people really go there??
#45
Posted 12 April 2007 - 08:02 AM
Slightly OT:
Here I am to play the youngish curmudgeon for the umpteenth time, but does anyone really think the Cowgirl Museum is still going to be the Cowgirl Museum in twenty years? To me it's something that a town of 2500 people would have, like a Museum of Cotton or somesuch. I honestly cannot think of a single reason why I would ever want to spend even a minute of my time there when there is so much else to do in this town and so much of it nearby (next door even).
Chris, you must not be married. If you were you would know that women like to stick together and celebrate each others accomplishments. As a man I can see why you wouldn't have any interest in cowgirls but, there is a whole herd of women that do and they will bring their spouses and kids with them to see what women have done.
Come on into the 21st century, Hillary may be in the cowgirl museum if she becomes president. In any case women run the civilized world.
#46
Posted 12 April 2007 - 08:43 AM
#47
Posted 12 April 2007 - 09:40 AM
#48
Posted 12 April 2007 - 10:00 AM
Here I am to play the youngish curmudgeon for the umpteenth time, but does anyone really think the Cowgirl Museum is still going to be the Cowgirl Museum in twenty years? To me it's something that a town of 2500 people would have, like a Museum of Cotton or somesuch. I honestly cannot think of a single reason why I would ever want to spend even a minute of my time there when there is so much else to do in this town and so much of it nearby (next door even).
It's not that bad, really. Its focus isn't just women who spent their lives on the backs of horses. One of the hall of famers is Sandra Day O'Connor. It's about recognizing the agricultural roots of some highly successful women. Yeah, it's kind of a niche museum, but when you crowd five museums (I'm counting the Kimbell2 as another museum) into a small area, they're going to start to get specialized. It's no Kimbell, but it is relevant to our geography. Given it's proximity to the Amon Carter and the Will Rogers Complex, I think it is appropriate.
You've got Fine Art, Modern Art, Western Art, Science & History, and Western Women of Influence. If you added another one, what would you add that wasn't at all specialized?
#49
Posted 12 April 2007 - 11:07 AM
#50
Posted 12 April 2007 - 10:09 PM
Re: Montgomery concerns...I seem to remember reading in the ST article that Montgomery will not be ignored. Hope that's so, as that street definitely needs something.
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