Glassell School of Art

Houston, TX

facade design, special structures Services

Steven Holl Architects Architect

Extension of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston – wedge-shaped building with translucent glazing and sculptural precast concrete elements

Project

The first phase of the expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, known as the "Glassell School of Art," is a wedge-shaped building with a walkable rooftop landscape. The three-story school building is situated on a two-hectare site and is adjacent to the sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi. The primary structure and load-bearing exterior shell are made of cast-in-place concrete and large-scale precast concrete elements, giving the building a sculptural appearance. The state-of-the-art building accommodates studios, common areas, and more, thus meeting the needs of the growing number of students.

The primary structure and load-bearing exterior shell consist of in-situ concrete and large-scale precast concrete elements, while the façade construction is made of large-scale window elements

Facade design

The building envelope consists of 178 individually shaped precast concrete elements, alternating with large-scale translucent window elements that define the building's appearance. The glass panes, measuring up to 6 meters by 3.20 meters, were factory-glazed into frames made from custom aluminum profiles using structural silicone. Some windows consist of two or three panes, which were combined with slender mullions to create even larger windows. Due to the minimal joint width of 12 mm between the window profiles and the concrete, templates were made for the windows before the elements were fabricated to the exact size.

The minimalist details required sophisticated structural concepts and detailed thermal analyses

Static and thermal calculations

Due to the minimalist design of the construction details and wind loads of up to 140 psf, the exposed mullions of the structure were reinforced with steel plates, and a portion of the glass weight was transferred into the glazing below. Because of the narrow joints and exposed reinforced concrete, thermal analyses were conducted to prevent condensation and mold at the joints.