Museum Tower (Dallas) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Museum Tower
Museum Tower while still under-construction in February 2012
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Residential condominiums
Location	1918 North Olive Street Dallas, Texas
Coordinates	32.789386°N 96.800248°W / 32.789386; -96.800248
Construction started	2010
Completed	January 2013
Cost	US$200 million
Height
Roof	560 ft (170 m)
Technical details
Floor count	42
Design and construction
Architect	Johnson Fain Partners
Developer	Dallas Police and Fire Pension System
Other information
Number of units	Over 100

Museum Tower is a 42-story, 170 m (560 ft) skyscraper in the arts district of Dallas, Texas. Completed in January 2013, the building is the tallest new structure to be built in the city in recent years, and is now the second-tallest all-residential building in Dallas, behind Gables Republic Tower.

Height

Museum Tower is the 15th-tallest structure in Dallas, tied with both the Reunion Tower and Cityplace Center in height. Among all-residential buildings in Dallas it is surpassed in height only by the Republic Center Tower I, with its 184 m (604 ft) spire. However, if measuring by roof height, and thereby excluding the Republic Center Tower I's spire, Museum Tower is taller. It also breaks the record for the highest residence in Dallas, surpassing the 138 m (453 ft) Republic I. The Museum Tower is the 4th-tallest building in Dallas' Arts District, behind Chase Tower, Fountain Place, and the Trammell Crow Center; with Bank Of America Plaza being the tallest building in Dallas.

Design

Museum Tower was designed by architect Scott Johnson, a member of the Los Angeles-based Johnson Fain architectural firm. Originally proposed as a 20-story tower, the height was significantly increased to accommodate more residences. The glass-clad tower features an elliptical floorplan.

Location and features

Situated in the center of the Arts District, Museum Tower is located adjacent to the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Meyerson Symphony Center, the Winspear Opera House and Wyly Theatre. The building consists of 115 residential condominiums, ranging from 1,650 to 8,700 square feet (153 to 808 m²) in area. Each condominium will feature direct-access elevators and private balconies.

The Museum Tower's large site features a second story-level outdoor pool and public gardens. The structure is adjacent to Klyde Warren Park and a performance park, which feature public fountains and a movie pavilion.

Groundbreaking

Originally proposed on June 15, 2007, developers released a tentative groundbreaking date of late 2007, but the 2008 recession put plans on hold until 2010.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal on June 15, 2010, developers had secured financing through the Dallas Police & Fire Pension System to move ahead with Museum Tower. A subsequent review of the Pension System's meeting minutes indicates that the pension fund is the owner of the entire project.

The project broke ground on Thursday, June 24, 2010. The building was completed in January 2013.

Conflict with the Nasher

A sign posted in the sculpture garden of the Nasher states that "Because a clear view of the sky from the interior of Tending (Blue) is now obstructed by the Museum Tower, the artist, James Turrell, has declared the work destroyed."

The Museum Tower's glass has reflected an undesirable glare into the nearby Nasher Sculpture Center, whose architect Renzo Piano had specifically designed its roof to direct appropriate indirect sunlight into the galleries, based on the arc of the sun across the sky. Artist James Turrell considers his work Tending (Blue) to be effectively destroyed by the glare, and the museum has closed the interior of the sculpture to the public at his request. Peter Walker, the landscape architect who designed the Nasher's sculpture garden, has characterized the glare as "an attack on the garden and on the building and on the art." In August 2015, Museum Tower's owners declared that they would no longer consider responsibility for the glare created by the tower, citing the expense and logistical difficulties of proposed solutions.