flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

First look: Renzo Piano's addition to Louis Kahn's Kimbell Art Museum [slideshow]

First look: Renzo Piano's addition to Louis Kahn's Kimbell Art Museum [slideshow]

The $135 million, 101,130-sf colonnaded pavilion by the famed architect opens later this month. 


By Kimbell Art Museum | November 13, 2013
South view, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth
South view, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

Designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop of Genoa/Paris/New York and Kendall/Heaton Associates of Houston, the highly anticipated expansion of the Kimbell Art Museum opens on Wednesday, November 27, 2013.

The $135 million, 101,130-square-foot colonnaded pavilion by Renzo Piano stands as an expression of simplicity and lightness—glass, concrete and wood—65 yards to the west of the signature cycloid-vaulted museum of 1972 by Louis I. Kahn.

Glimpsed from the portico of the Kahn Building, the highly energy-efficient two-part structure gives the impression of weightlessness: its recessed glass entrance is centered between crisp concrete walls; a wafer-thin layer of glass hovers over its louvered roof system; and enormous overhanging wood beams appear to float above the exterior walls.

Appearing for the first time in a Renzo Piano–designed building are galleries with smooth concrete walls and coupled wood ceiling beams. Twenty-nine pairs of these 100-foot-long Douglas Fir beams extend throughout the whole length of the front or east wing—jutting through the south gallery, entry lobby, and north gallery before coming to rest on exterior concrete columns. This wood beam structure supports the louvered roof system that controls the flow of sunlight into the building.

Two glazed outdoor walkways connect the simply expressed and luminous east wing with the rearmost building section, which is sheltered beneath a green roof. Here, a gallery designed for light-sensitive works is set partially underground and walled in lustrous concrete, its only window offering a dramatic view up a stepped ascent. 

The pavilion's greatest surprise lies in the west wing: an auditorium with bright-red, raked seating plunges below ground to the stage, which is set against the backdrop of a deep and broad light well animated by shifting patterns of natural illumination.

Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell, noted: "In its marshaling of light and materials, human scale, and tripartite plan and elevation, the Piano Pavilion provides a 21st-century counterpoint to Kahn's classic modern masterwork." 

Building Team:
Design architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop 
Executive architect: Kendall/Heaton Associates
Mechanical engineers: Arup, Summit Consultants
Construction manager: Beck Group
Project manager: Paratus Group
 

View from the southwest at night, Renzo Piano Pavilion, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert LaPrelle 
 
 

South view, Renzo Piano Pavilion and Louis Kahn Building, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert LaPrelle
 

Interior view of south gallery, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori
 


Interior view of south gallery, looking out to the lawn, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


Roof detail, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


Detail of concrete gallery wall, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


Auditorium, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


Auditorium, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


Auditorium, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


Detail of roof and beam system, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


View of facade looking south, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

 


View of facade looking south, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori


View of facade looking south, Renzo Piano Pavilion, September 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori


South gallery, Renzo Piano Pavilion, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori


View from south gallery looking north, Renzo Piano Pavilion, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori


South gallery, Renzo Piano Pavilion, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori

Grand staircase, Renzo Piano Pavilion, October 2013. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. Photo by Robert Polidori


Piano Building sketch, 2008. © Renzo Piano Building Workshop


Renzo Piano on the west portico of the Kahn Building, 2008. Photo by Robert LaPrelle. © Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Related Stories

Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021

White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners

A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.

Urban Planning | Aug 16, 2021

Building with bikes in mind: How cities can capitalize on the pandemic’s ‘bike boom’ to make streets safer for everyone

Since early 2020, Americans have been forced to sequester themselves in their homes with outdoor activities, in most cases, being the sole respite for social distancing. And many of people are going back to the basics with a quintessential outdoor activity: biking. Bike sales absolutely skyrocketed during the pandemic, growing by 69% in 2020. 

Senior Living Design | Aug 13, 2021

Designing with dignity for senior living, with Mike Rodebaugh, LEO A DALY

In this exclusive interview for HorizonTV, Mike Rodebaugh, AIA, Senior Living Sector Leader with LEO A DALY, describes how his firm applies "hospitality magic tricks" in its senior living communities, using design to lend dignity to residents, staff, and residents' families and social circles.

Architects | Aug 5, 2021

Lord Aeck Sargent's post-Katerra future, with LAS President Joe Greco

After three years under the ownership of Katerra, which closed its North American operations last May, the architecture firm Lord Aeck Sargent is re-establishing itself as an independent company, with an eye toward strengthening its eight practices and regional presence in the U.S.

Architects | Aug 5, 2021

Lord Aeck Sargent's post-Katerra future, with LAS President Joe Greco

After three years under the ownership of Katerra, which closed its North American operations last May, the architecture firm Lord Aeck Sargent is re-establishing itself as an independent company, with an eye toward strengthening its eight practices and regional presence in the U.S.

Office Buildings | Aug 4, 2021

‘Lighthouse’ office tower will be new headquarters for A2A in Milan

The tower, dubbed Torre Faro, reimagines the company’s office spaces to adapt to people’s ever-changing needs at work.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 30, 2021

Multifamily housing for a post-COVID world

A trio of multifamily design experts presents concepts for post-pandemic apartment developments.

Architects | Jul 23, 2021

NCARB releases demographic breakdown of licensing exam pass rates

The organization is launching initiatives to figure out what’s causing disparities among candidate groups.

Wood | Jul 16, 2021

The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab

In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 15, 2021

Economic rebound leads to record increase in multifamily asking rents

Across the country, multifamily rents have skyrocketed. Year-over-year rents are up by double digits in nine of the top 30 markets, while national YoY rent growth is up 6.3%. Emerging from the pandemic, a perfect storm of migration, enhanced government stimulus and a hot housing market, among other factors, has enabled this extremely strong growth.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Construction Costs

Data center construction costs for 2024

Gordian’s data features more than 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers. 


Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.



Healthcare Facilities

Watch on-demand: Key Trends in the Healthcare Facilities Market for 2024-2025

Join the Building Design+Construction editorial team for this on-demand webinar on key trends, innovations, and opportunities in the $65 billion U.S. healthcare buildings market. A panel of healthcare design and construction experts present their latest projects, trends, innovations, opportunities, and data/research on key healthcare facilities sub-sectors. A 2024-2025 U.S. healthcare facilities market outlook is also presented.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021