In one of the year’s most anticipated cultural launches, Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts is about to celebrate the inauguration of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, this is the latest addition to an expanding museum campus, which also includes Holl’s Glassell School of Art, completed in 2018.
The new structure, a balanced composition of irregularly shaped, white and translucent volumes topped by luminous, concave roofs, features bright, dynamic interiors, created to house generously modern and contemporary art. The building is arranged horizontally, spanning two levels, and generous, naturally top-lit galleries are interspersed with courtyards, connecting inside and outside.
A cascading sculptural staircase that links lobby and gallery areas on all levels is a key centrepiece in the composition. ‘The atrium is very dramatic and I feel will likely become an iconic example in 21st museum architecture, in the same way the Guggenheim in Bilbao or New York is,’ says the museum’s director Gary Tinterow. This is an expressive building that is singular and the interior is very exciting. Our galleries are full of character, they are not the typical white box.’ Lighting design by L’Observatoire International enhances the space throughout.
RELATED STORY
The building will open officially on 21 November with the first comprehensive installation from the museum’s international collections, including in particular Latin American and Latino art; photography; prints and drawings; decorative arts, craft, and design; and modern and contemporary art.
A version of this article originally featured in the November issue of Wallpaper*
INFORMATION
-
SANAA scoops 2025 Charlotte Perriand AwardThe 2025 Charlotte Perriand Award has been awarded to Japanese architecture studio SANAA
-
Ora-ïto transforms the Renault 17 into a futuristic yet retro-tinged visionThe R17 electric restomod x Ora-ïto is the fourth in Renault's series of designer-led reimaginings of iconic models from its past. We think it's the best of the lot
-
First Look: a domestic idyll by Lucy Stark and Fabien Cappello at the Blunk SpaceInspired by the life and times at JB Blunk's haven of a house in Inverness, a new exhibition of paintings and objects has us dreaming of California
-
Clive Lonstein’s Manhattan home is a warm minimalist space brimming with textureDesigner Clive Lonstein elevates his carefully curated Manhattan home with rich textures and fabrics
-
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: meet the practicesIn the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest guide to exciting, emerging practices from around the world, 20 young studios show off their projects and passion
-
‘Architecture is about shaping environments that enhance human experiences,’ says Büro Koray DumanBüro Koray Duman, a young USA practice, features in the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024
-
Montana’s Tippet Rise debuts Geode, its latest acoustically optimised outdoor music venueThe new Arup-designed pavilion at Tippet Rise amplifies live and recorded classical music performances from deep within the expansive Montana sculpture park
-
Tour the Wavelet House, a light-filled California family home that ripples with dramaThe Wavelet House, a California family home by Fougeron Architecture, envelops a rich array of internal spaces beneath a dramatic and sculptural roof form
-
This Florida house is devoted to light, art and viewsA new Florida house, in Boca Raton, by architects Choeff Levy Fischman and interior designer Deborah Wecselman, has been shaped around an art collection
-
AD-WO's 21st-century take on residential work blends colour and climateThe Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 includes AD-WO, a young USA architecture practice
-
'American Modern' surveys the 'total community' modernist project that was Columbus, Indiana'American Modern', a new publication zooming in on the lesser-known architectural gems of Columbus, Indiana, and their impact, is out this month
