Architecture studio Snøhetta has completed the redesign of the Blanton Museum of Art campus in Austin, installing massive "petal"-shaped sculptures at its centre.
First announced in 2021, the 200,000-square-foot (18,580 square metre) project includes an update to the museum's entryways, a central courtyard, and landscape design to create a "bold new presence" for the museum, according to the team.
Snøhetta has completed an update to the campus of the Blanton Museum of Art
Located on one edge of the University of Texas at Austin, the Blanton Museum of Art encompasses two main buildings, the surrounding grounds, and Ellsworth Kelly's Austin architectural pavilion completed in 2018.
It has a central courtyard that separates the two structures and where the primary entrances are located and sits in line with an adjacent mall leading to the Texas State Capitol complex, which is currently undergoing an overhaul. The project includes the addition of yellow volumes at the buildings' entrances
According to museum director Simone Wicha, the outdoor space was "out of line" with a social vision of the space.
"The space served mostly as a passthrough and visitors couldn?t find our front door," Wicha told Dezeen.
Twelve "petal" shaped sculptures were placed in a central courtyard
Snøhetta was tasked with unifying and revitalising these elements ? and connecting the campus to Austin at large.
To anchor the space and establish it as a ...