Displaying items by tag: steven holl

1. How about Richard and Dion Neutra’s architectural masterpiece?

Designed by the seminal Modernist architect Richard Neutra and his son, Dion, this serene residence blends seamlessly with its surroundings. Built in Los Angeles’ Tarzana neighborhood in 1972, the architectural gem sits atop a nearly 3-acre expanse of land, providing 360-degree views of the stunning San Fernando Valley. The 5,500-square-foot estate features four bedrooms, vast walls of glass, and a luxurious outdoor area complete with a swimmer’s pool, a hot tub, and unique designer water features that surround the home’s exterior.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) has announced that the American architect and museum aficionado Steven Holl will lead its monumental upcoming expansion project. Holl, whose eponymous firm has offices in Beijing and New York,  has designed structures for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, MO), the Bellevue Arts Museum (Bellevue, WA), the Herning Museum of Contemporary Art (Herning, Denmark), and the Sifang Art Museum (Nanjing, China).

The $450-million, 14-acre masterplan will  transform the MFAH into one of the largest museum campuses in the country. The expansion includes two new buildings by Holl and one by the Texas-based firm, Lake Flato Architects.

The nonprofit Architectural League of New York is the latest party asking the Museum of Modern Art to reconsider their decision to raze the former home of the American Folk Art Museum. The organization wrote an open letter signed by members of its board of directors to MoMA on Monday, April 22, 2013. Prominent architects such as Richard Meier, Thom Mayne, Steven Holl, Hugh Hardy, and Robert A.M. Stern voiced their support against the demolition of the building, which was designed by notable New York-based architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.

The monumental building, which features a sculptural bronze façade, was erected twelve years ago on West 53^rd Street by the American Folk Art Museum. After the institution fell into financial turmoil, the building was sold to MoMA and the Folk Art Museum moved to a smaller location. Now, as plans for an expansion gain steam, MoMA has announced their decision to level the building. Officials justified the ruling by claiming that the Folk Art Museum’s former home didn’t mesh with MoMA’s sleek glass façade and that structure’s location was logistically problematic as it is slightly set back from MoMA’s main building.

The decision to demolish the structure, which has quickly become a Midtown landmark, has been met with a wall of opposition. Last week, a New Haven, CT resident, Robert Bundy, launched a petition against MoMA’s decision and garnered over 2,000 signatures in a matter of days.

As it stands, MoMA expects to begin renovations in 2014 by which time the Folk Art Museum’s former home will be destroyed.