Fort Worth is blessed with a wide range of cultural institutions by an enviable array of international architecture heavyweights. With Louis Khan's Kimbell Art Museum (including Renzo Piano's recent extension) and a modern art museum by Tadao Ando, the Texan city easily earns its spot within the world architecture map. The latest contemporary addition is a new photography hub on Montgomery Street, courtesy of local firm Ibañez Shaw Architecture. It sits just a stone's throw from the museum district and across the street from The Museum of Science and History by Legoretta +Legoretta.
Split into two wings that are set on different levels, the structure is a concrete complex comprising photography classrooms, studios, and a retail area. The strong geometry and clean lines are reflected in all areas of the building – with a distinctive pattern of round perforations adorning parts of the facade, and referencing, explain the architects, the ‘graphic proportionality of seven standard apertures that restrict how much light is allowed to enter the camera'. Extra care was taken when these were designed, so that openings are conically flared to ‘increase the visual transparency and graphic presentation', continues the team.
The concrete building's protruding yellow box hosts a play area for children.
The structure's strong character continues inside, with the retail area featuring glass shelving, so as not to detract from the overall concrete feel. A spectrum of cameras is spread across the shelves, becoming a key ornamental focus for the room.
Still, the complex maintains a healthy level of playfulness. A yellow box unexpectedly protrudes from the concrete volume, containing the hub's children's area; while a umbrella-shaped photo-studio light illuminates the conference room near the upper level entry. Reflectors are used above the cashiers in the retail space, bouncing daylight and illuminating the interior in a true photographic fashion.
The scheme consists of photography classrooms, studios, and a retail area
The project sits on Montgomery Street, a stone’s throw from the Ameircan city’s cultural district
The concrete structure foregrounds the Museum of Science and History by Legoretta +Legoretta
The facade’s concrete screen is punctuated by holes, adding a graphic element to building...
...while referencing the amount of light allowed into a camera
Glass shelves remain discreet so as not to detract from the concrete’s strong character
A photo studio umbrella-shaped light illuminates a conference room
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Ibañez Shaw Architecture website
-
Alaïa’s secret new London café and bookstore is inspired by the art of hostingHoused on the third floor of Alaïa’s London flagship, the intimate space – inspired by Azzedine Alaïa’s famed hospitality – includes a Violet Cakes bakery and a bookstore by Claire de Rouen
-
Is it really possible to stage a Shakespeare play inside the game Grand Theft Auto?Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary debut written and directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, is about two out-of-work actors attempting to mount a full production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, inside the violent world of Grand Theft Auto, shot entirely in game
-
Arlo NoMad hotel makes the American diner officially cool againThe NoMad Diner NYC’s interiors and menu offer an elevated take on an American classic
-
We walk through Luther George Park and its new undulating pavilionLuther George Park by Trahan Architects and landscape firm SMM Architects opens to the public, showcasing a striking new pavilion installation – take a first look
-
A vibrant new waterfront park opens in San FranciscoA waterfront park by leading studio Scape at China Basin provides dynamic public spaces and coastal resilience for San Francisco's new district of Mission Rock
-
Tekαkαpimək Contact Station: a building ‘as inspiring as the endless forest and waterways of the land’The new Tekαkαpimək Contact Station by Saunders Architecture with Reed Hilderbrand and Alisberg Parker Architects, opens at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in the USA
-
Entelechy II: architect John Portman's majestic beach home hits the marketEntelechy II, architect John Portman's beach residence in Georgia, USA, goes on the market; roll up, roll up for a home that is as grand as it is playful
-
First look: Honolulu's Victoria Place blends cosmopolitan living with Hawaii life and natureVictoria Place is a new residential tower at Honolulu's Ward Village; take a first look at its interiors
-
A look inside the home of George Homsey, one of the fathers of pioneering California modernist community Sea RanchGeorge Homsey's home opens for the first time since his death, in 2019; see where the architect behind some of the designs for Sea Ranch, the pioneering California modernist community, lived
-
Step inside a Brooklyn Brownstone that bridges old and new'Brooklyn Brownstone' has been refreshed by Jon Powell Architects (JPA) and the result is a contemporary design rooted in modern elegance
-
The new Frederic Church Center at Olana complements its leafy Upstate New York siteTour the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape, now open at Olana, a historic site in Upstate New York, courtesy of architecture studio ARO
