The Modern: mammoth concrete structure—unlike any other

Concrete Construction, April, 2003

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth has built a breathtaking structure. Its new facility, called "The Modern," provides patrons with one of the most unusual art museums in the nation, It has been called "an architectural achievement of international significance" and "one of the world's finest spaces for the display of modern and contemporary art."

Designed by noted Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the intent was to transform the existing regional museum into an international destination for modern art and architecture. With The Modern located across from the world-famous Kimball Art Museum, designed by Louis Kahn, special care was taken to provide visual compatibility between the two renowned structures. Both buildings incorporate concrete, glass, and water as signature design elements.

One unique feature is the building's dual-envelope design. The inner structural walls are composed of architectural concrete that supports massive, projecting roof planes. Beyond the concrete are 34-foot exterior glass and metal panel walls. The intent of the dual envelope was to create a veranda-like space between the glass and the concrete to visually connect the natural exterior setting to the artwork inside. The project required more than 270 wall pours--and an equal number of CAD-produced shop drawings--to place more than 23,000 cubic yards of concrete.

PRIMARY PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

* Owner: MPA Foundation

* Builder: Lindbeck Construction Co.

* Design Architect: Tadao Ando

* Architect of Record: Kendall/Heaton Associates

* Consulting Architect: Richard Fitzgerald & Associates

* Structural Engineering: Thornton-Thomasetti/Elisor and Tanner

* Civil Engineering: Huitt-Zollars

* MEP System Design: CHP & Associates

* Landscape Architect: SWA Group