Perot Museum of Nature & Science: Update

7 Nov 2011

Perot Museum of Nature & Science East

Last week I decided to take my lunch break downtown while walking around the Morphosis designed Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The project appears to be coming along very nicely and scheduled to open in early 2013.

I was limited to walking the perimeter taking my photos despite several invitations from people associated with the project offering a tour of the interior. The short version is that despite everyone on the team being very nice and generous with their time, they don’t want people like me walking around the interior taking pictures.

Perot Museum of Nature & Science East

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Highway

Before people figure it out for themselves, yes, I took this picture from my car as I drove by on the freeway. In my defense, I just pointed the lens out the window and took the pictures as I went by, hoping that one would be usable. Since I have a picture here, I’d say I got one.

Perot Museum of Nature & Science East

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Detail 01

Perot Museum of Nature & Science East

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Detail 02

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Detail 03

Perot Museum of Nature & Science South

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Detail 05

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Detail 07

Perot Museum of Nature & Science West

Perot Museum of Nature & Science West 04

Perot Museum of Nature & Science Detail

There are more close-up pictures of the precast concrete panels in the gallery attached below.There is also a fantastic article the describes the concrete precast fabrication process, written by Debra Wood for ENR that you can find here.

You can also visit the museums website for more project information (here) and if you want to see the first trip I took, you can read that post here

Cheers and thanks for reading Life of an Architect.

all photos by Dallas architect Bob Borson

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By: Bob Borson Category: Observations Tags: Dallas Architecture, photography

B McKay

Bob, I am working on a
flyer for a Dallas Building Enclosure Council event and am interested in using
one of your photos for the flyer? Would this be alright? The event will feature
Aleksander Tamm-Seitz, architect from Morphosis, speaking about the complex building
envelope design and the details of the precast façade from early design stage
to construction. This will be a free event at the Dallas AIA on 2/22/12 (5 to
7:30 pm). You are welcome to attend.
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  Sure – help yourself. I just got back from a tour and will have new photos on this Monday.
  Cheers
  
  Bob Borson AIA
  - B McKay
    
    Thank you!
    
    Maybe you can make it out on Feb. 22nd as well?
    - http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
      
      with my family schedule, I don’t get out during the week very often. I’ll have to rely on you to tell me how it went.
Sam

refreshed my da Bob. Can’t wait to see the interior as well
http://uptodayarch.blogspot.com up_today_arch

and the same style inside?… just curious….
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  I don’t believe so, at least not from what I’ve seen from my tour of the inside at this stage of construction (assuming you are talking about the precast concrete panels)
Anonymous

Thanks for posting these nice pics Bob! It’s great to get a local (and architectural) glimpse of cool construction projects. Looks like another reason why Dallas is high on my list of future architectural pilgrimages.

I dig the texture – the horizontal lines of the precast concrete are an interesting compliment to the aluminum verticality of the similarly-shaped Wylie Theater. Too bad both buildings weren’t side by side, it would be a mega-scale representation of tension and compression!

Any chance for a similar post on the Piano expansion at the Kimball?
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  I have photo post on the Wyly coming out next week so that’s about as close as these buildings will get to one another.
  
  I was out at the Kimbell https://www.kimbellart.org/index.aspx this last weekend and there is a model of the expansion in the lobby (I have a crude photograph but not worth sharing). The construction isn’t very far along, they haven’t made it out of the ground yet.
  
  When there is something to see, I will try and collect some images, maybe even get a early tour.
  
  Cheers
  - Anonymous
    
    Thanks Bob. I’ll keep an eye out for the post on the Wylie Theater.
    
    I wasn’t sure how far along progress was on the Kimball expansion. It’s always worth following the progress when a well-renown architect like Piano adds on to an icon such as the Kimball.
http://twitter.com/ExtremelyAvg Brian D. Meeks

That is a very cool design. It looks like I will need to add it to my Bucket list.
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  This seems to be the type of projects that this firm (Morphosis) gets – they are all avant-garde and push existing construction processes and technologies past their limits. If for no other reason, that’s why I like this building.
  
  Cheers
Stephen Lin

Nice pictures! Have you seen the Ando designed Modern Museum out in Ft. Worth? It is fantastic as well.

I hear they are designing a massive addition to the old Kahn designed Kimbell Art Museum out there as well.
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  Hi Stephen,
  
  I was actually out at the Kimbell and the Modern this last weekend. The Kimbell has a great Caravaggio show on exhibit now that is worth attending.
  
  https://www.kimbellart.org/Exhibitions/Exhibition-Details.aspx?eid=74
  
  it runs October 16th through January 8, 2012. They also have a nice model on display of the Renzo Piano addition that is under construction. You can get a pretty good idea of what to expect … but then it is Renzo Piano so you know it will be something special.
  
  Cheers
  - http://twitter.com/ExtremelyAvg Brian D. Meeks
    
    Caravaggio is one of my favorite artists…well, top 10. Margaret Truman, daughter of the former President, wrote a great mystery, “Murder at the National Gallery”, which is all about Caravaggio. I give it two thumgs up, if anyone is interested.
Small Town

I can’t wait until the work is done and they can remove the protective wrapping and show us what it looks like! What’s that? Oh, that IS the skin. I see.

All the wrinkles at the bottom make it look squished, like some overweight giant sat on it and compressed it a floor.
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  Okay – that was actually pretty funny and I can appreciate the comment. Ironically, one of the main design concepts is that the box will appear to be floating over the landscape once it is in place.
  
  Go check out the museum’s web site for a landscape plan – it may not change your mind but maybe temper your opinion just a little.
  
  Thanks for the comment, I got a good laugh out of it.
  - Small Town
    
    Oh, I don’t dislike it. I marvel that someone (or in fact a team of someones) can create something so striking (while also meeting program, budget, zoning, code requirements, to say nothing of a fickle public). As an architect who’s primary choices are brick, stone or vinyl siding, there’s some professional jealousy that someone out there has a bigger palette to choose from.
    - http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
      
      I can appreciate wanting to have access to a larger palette of materials to work from – in that regard, I have been pretty fortunate.
      
      Too bad we don’t all get to design 185 million dollar science & nature museums right?
http://twitter.com/Alexandrafunfit Alexandra Williams

I think this must be a building only archis can love because I find it kind of like a big box with a thing sticking out the side. Maybe I’m just not hip enough…No, that’s not the issue. Anyway, I agree with Amelia – go in next time. I’m sure they’d love to have THE Bob Borson for a tour. I totally believe they’d know exactly who you are. Do it. Do it.
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  Yes – they have been very gracious and I have been on a tour of the inside before. I just responded to Amelia’s comment so you can look there for the full response.
  
  As for “THE” Bob Borson … unlikely. It is more likely that Dancing with the Stars has there eye on me than this group of people.
Amelia

Mr. Borson you should have gone in!!! I got to go on the tour during the TSA convention and also the lecture of it. I’m still in awe of how all those concrete blocks are being held up. Soooo cool!!!
- Amelia
  
  PS Do you need a talented well-rounded intern?
  - http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
    
    everybody wants well-rounded interns but we loaded up on staff this spring and are at capacity for the foreseeable future. That having been said, if you read this blog, you’ll know when something opens up!
    
    Cheers
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  I have been inside on a tour but they won’t let you take pictures. I’ve been told that is an edict that came from the City of Dallas itself. For the most part I honor the wishes of others so even if I did have pictures of the inside, I wouldn’t post them here.
Nancie Mills Pipgras

So THAT’S what that was! Spied this building yesterday at about mile 55 of the Komen 3Day walk and was amazed. Thank you so much for the great photos and links to more info. This is a marvel. Congrats to Dallas!
- http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com Bob Borson
  
  Nancie,
  
  1st – kudos to you for participating the in Komen 3Day walk – you are awesome!
  
  2nd – that building is just sort of sitting out there on display isn’t it? Since it’s right on the freeway, it will be exposed so I am glad the exterior is as bold as it is!
  
  Cheers and thanks for leaving a comment – I appreciate it.

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