The Unfolding Nasher-Museum Tower Battle

The first impact of the construction of the 42-story Museum Tower residential development on the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas's arts district came in the summer of 2011, when the Nasher closed James Turrell's Skyspace at the back of its sculpture garden. The rising tower encroached on the previously unobscured view of the sky through the square portal, prompting Turrell to declare the work "destroyed" (the Nasher and Turrell are supposedly working on a new design to be executed in the future).

Following the construction of the concrete structure came the glass curtain wall, which has been reflecting sunlight onto the Nasher's building and sculpture garden. Renzo Piano carefully designed the skylights that cap the building to bring in only north light, but light off the tower has been infiltrating the roof, both hitting the art and heating up the interior. As Charles Birnbaum reports at the Huffington Post, the reflected light is also negatively affecting the sculpture garden designed by Peter Walker, burning leaves on trees and bamboo, and inhibiting the growth of grass. Not surprisingly, the Museum Tower's landscape consultant did not have the same findings.

The ensuing dispute between the Nasher—which moved into its home in 2003—and Museum Tower has no end in sight (a city-appointed mediator resigned after six months due to frustration); the former is asking for modifications to the tower's facade (louvers, namely) to reduce reflectivity, and the latter is proposing that the Nasher modify its skylights. Yet Birnbaum's article makes it clear that there is more to the dispute than the art inside the Nasher's building. It would be unfortunate if an institution that has helped make the arts district in Dallas a success, and attracted the people that would move into Museum Tower, might be destroyed in the process.