The Dallas Museum of Art has unveiled the shortlist for the Reimagining the Dallas Museum of Art International Design Competition after attracting 154 submissions from around the world. Naturally, due to the exceptional opportunity and the quality of entries, the Architect Selection Committee expanded the shortlist from five to six teams.
The finalist teams, listed alphabetically by team lead, are:
David Chipperfield Architects
Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Johnston Marklee
Michael Maltzan Architecture
Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos
Weiss/Manfredi
Each team includes renowned architectural firms, engineering experts, exhibition designers, and sustainability specialists. The finalist teams will participate in a public forum at the museum, Future of the DMA: Meet the Architect Finalists, moderated by Competition Director, Malcolm Reading on Saturday, May 13. The finalists will explore themes in museum architecture and urban design and give their studio’s perspective. For further details on format, tickets and access visit DMA.org.
During the nine-week period for creating their concept designs, the finalist teams will attend a site visit and a detailed briefing in May. The Architect Selection Committee will then reconvene to interview the teams and select a winner. A public exhibition of the shortlisted schemes will be held at the Museum in early July, with opportunities for communities to provide feedback. This will coincide with an online exhibition hosted on the competition website. Each shortlisted team will receive an honorarium of US $50,000 for their design work, along with up to US $10,000 in expenses when the competition concludes. The winner will be announced in August 2023. The estimated project budget is approximately US $150-175 million, and the Museum will seek public and private funding sources, along with a funding campaign to support the project.
Dr. Agustín Arteaga, DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director, expressed excitement about the diverse mix of talent and design approaches represented by the shortlisted teams-including a significant portion led by women. Arteaga would go on to state, “The teams now have nine weeks to work their magic. In July we will have six possible visions of how the DMA might be transformed. We will showcase these to our communities, supporters, and the wider public, welcoming their feedback. Directing his excitement the Director posited, “Who could not be excited about what lies ahead? Dallas-Fort Worth will soon be the third largest metropolitan area in the US, and we are working hard to prepare the Museum to be up to the challenge. This moment marks a major step towards a new future for the DMA.” Architect Selection Committee Co-Chairs Jennifer Eagle and Lucilo Peña acknowledged the difficult decision-making process and the high quality of submissions, in a joint statement they remarked, “Selecting the shortlist was a demanding process and the Committee’s debate around the final studios was intense and full-hearted. Nonetheless, we achieved a unanimous decision on the DMA six.”
Malcolm Reading recognized the global interest in the competition and the opportunity to renew one of Dallas’ most cherished institutions, stating, “The challenges facing the building and the Museum are emblematic of our times. The complex program, matched with the shortlist’s variety and talent, gives the Museum a rare opportunity: to renew one of Dallas’ most cherished institutions and give the broader museum community a case study in reuse.”
The DMA, with this reimagining, aims to better serve the diverse city of Dallas by connecting with surrounding neighborhoods and becoming a dynamic connector for people of all cultures. The project will also include additional flexible gallery space to accommodate the museum’s growing collection, many of which are currently in storage due to limited space. With its neighborhood and visitor expectations evolving since its 1984 opening, the DMA seeks to reinvigorate its spaces to better reflect today’s more open and inclusive society.