snøhetta redesigns landscaping in austin's blanton museum

Snøhetta unveils the Redesign of Blanton Museum of Art Campus

Snøhetta debuts the redesign of the recently completed three-year transformation of the Blanton Museum of Art campus at The University of Texas at Austin. Announced in 2021, the 200,000 sqft (18,580 sqm) project revitalizes the museum‘s entryways, central courtyard, and landscape, creating a unified and visually compelling presence. The redesign includes updates to two buildings and the integration of Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Austin’ within the museum campus. The new landscape and reimagined entrances establish a prominent connection between the Texas Capitol Complex and the university campus, enhancing the museum’s role as a public art hub in Austin.

The design, characterized by inclusive gathering spaces, links the civic core of the city to the historic university fabric. A canopy of petal sculptures, rising 40 feet, each petal is made of perforated panels and spans 30 feet in diameter, creating a shaded microclimate with dappled light. Made from perforated panels, these petals manage drainage, allowing passive irrigation into the subgrade. Their curving outlines, inspired by the arched vaults of the museum’s loggia, frame views of Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin and the Capitol.

all images by Casey Dunn

dynamic landscape design integrates new and existing plants

Through a choreography of planting, geometry, and art, the landscape vision is defined by a series of new gardens and entry points that knit the grounds together. The plantings for the Blanton campus were carefully selected by the design team through a variety of environmental considerations, with an overall desire to establish feelings of comfort, welcome, and support. The landscape design integrates more than 25,000 new plants selected for environmental suitability and ease of maintenance. Existing vegetation, including the defining oak trees, has been preserved wherever possible. Multi-stem crape myrtles complement the oaks, framing the plaza entrance. The Faulkner Garden showcases dynamic vegetation, accommodating a range of sun and shade conditions and hydrologic character in its bounds.

To mark the museum’s mission of highlighting underrepresented artists, Snøhetta’s redesign includes a site-specific mural by Cuban-American painter Carmen Herrera. Sited on the interior wall under the Michener Gallery Building’s loggia, this mural spans the building’s length, with the museum entrance at its center. The landscape design harmonizes with Herrera’s mural, incorporating lush plantings and topography, alongside a sound garden gallery for auditory works. The Moody Patio features two performance stages, new landscaping, a lawn, and diverse seating areas, enhancing the Blanton’s programming and creating a community center for art and music.

Snøhetta unveils the redesigned Blanton Museum of Art campus at The University of Texas at Austin