Steven Holl: Nancy and Rich Kinder Museum Building, Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH)

This was a museum space in Houston, Texas was designed by Steven Hoff with exhibition space, galleries, seven garden courtyards, a 215-seat theatre, pedestrian tunnels, parking hall, conference rooms, a restaurant overlooking a sculpture garden, a café, and a triple-story forum. The building has the unique aspect of porosity also present in the Cofco Cultural & Health Center despite being two completely different projects with different purposes. The large gardens and grand entrances help convey a sense of welcoming and openness.

            The curved roof, designed to look like cloud circles, cover the roof and allow natural light to come into the building in precise amounts and areas providing the perfect lighting for the galleries. The building is organized into two floors horizontally and all the galleries have natural light and connect in with an open flow. All the galleries surround a central gallery forum with generous space for the exhibition of art and vertical access to the upper floors.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *