McCarthy Breaks Ground on Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Campus Project

McCarthy recently broke ground on a project to expand the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, one of the largest museums in the United States and also the oldest art museum in Texas. Steven Holl Architects is the architect on the project.

The project is located in the heart of the Museum District, a culture-filled area that attracts more than 8 million visitors each year. The redevelopment of the 14-acre campus consists of a new exhibition building, a new art school, a below ground, two-level parking garage, a rooftop garden, architecturally significant tunnel connectors, extensive site development and a central plant.

Phase I of the $350-million campus expansion project includes the construction of the Glassell School of Art, a highly regarded art school that serves as the teaching wing of the MFAH, with a variety of classes, workshops and educational opportunities for students diverse in age, interests, experience and needs. The new facility will replace a 1979 original building. Nearly doubling the size of the previous building, the new Glassell School will be 80,000 square feet and will include space for the junior and adult schools, which serve 7,000 students each year. Some features of the new facility include fully digital studios and classrooms, exhibition space, an auditorium and street-level café.

In addition to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, McCarthy’s Texas portfolio of entertainment and institutional projects includes the award-winning AT&T Performing Arts Center Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas, Dallas” Klyde Warren Park located over Woodall Rogers Freeway and the Dallas City Performance Hall, among others.