The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is inviting architects to participate in a competition designed to help the museum expand gallery spaces and create a new design.
The deadline to submit the first stage of changes is March 15. The museum has teamed with Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) to host the competition. MRC is an architectural consultancy based in London that helps clients achieve award-winning designs.
A press release from the DMA said Edward Larrabee Barnes designed the original layout in 1984. Today, the DMA is focused on expanding its global collection, including contemporary art and local artists, and placing a significant emphasis on people of different races, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities.
The Architect Selection Committee is comprised of 14 community members, local architects, and museum executives. This group is responsible for judging the competition. At the time of submission, competition contestants are required to express their interest in working with the project and list relevant project experience.
Five people will be chosen to expand the gallery to accommodate the museum’s growing collection. The architects are expected to recreate the flow of galleries as well as redesign layouts, entrances, and exits.
In its search statement, the DMA said, “The Museum is working hard to engage new and diverse audiences. To support this program, the campus needs to be, either literally or metaphorically, transparent in showing what is going on inside, and welcoming and accessible to all.”
The DMA is part of the largest art district in the country. The museum itself is four floors and 718,000 square feet, which includes two basement levels.
Part of the challenge for the competition participants is to explore options for the roof and update the current technological infrastructure. The participants will visit the site in May.
Winners will be announced by August 2023. The design team will be paid an honorarium of $50,000 and up to a $10,000 contribution for expenses. The stage two deadline is set to be in late June, and final interviews will be conducted in mid-July.
