Kimbell Art Museum - Fort Worth, TX

Once in a while a project comes along which has the potential to impact the lives of many people. The expansion of the Kimbell Art Museum was such a project. A great site, a great existing structure, a team with the proven ability to expand upon greatness, and a client who was willing to travel the extra miles which were required, was able to yield an exceptional and inspiring project. In addition to being a world class art institution, the Kimbell Art Museum is a world class urban park. With a 10-acre site, the Museum has much loved (and used) passive open space including two acres of roof garden, fountains, an Isamu Noguchi sculpture garden, outdoor sculpture and a careful interplay between architecture and setting. The expanded park setting was laid out with consideration for solar access (30,000 sf of rooftop solar panels) and 36, 450-foot-deep geothermal HVAC wells which lie below a main lawn. Pond’s role as landscape architect for the 2013 expansion was to channel the vision of two master architects, Louis Kahn and Renzo Piano, and work with the past vision of Louis Kahn and the current vision of the owner and of Renzo Piano to restore and reshape the site. Pond led the freshening of the existing Louis Kahn site with new plantings and surfaces to replace old and damaged ones. In addition, he worked with the owner and with the Piano design team to create a setting for the expansion that works with both buildings, while at the same time, preserving the peaceful, green urban oasis which has meant so much to a generation of citizens and visitors to Fort Worth.