Feature Illustration: An early concept rendering of the University of Texas-Dallas Athenaeum.
UPDATED: 11-18-2021
Posted: 11-17-2021
by Adolfo Pesquera
Dallas (Dallas County) — The University of Texas System Board of Regents added the Athenaeum, Phase I–a $56.8 million project on the UT-Dallas campus–to the current capital improvement project.
The definition phase of this project was approved in August 2019. Since that time, Morphosis Architects, a preeminent design firm with corporate offices in Los Angeles and New York City, has been on the project. The regents approved the addition to the CIP at their Nov. 17 meeting.
Envisioned as a world class arts and performance complex, the Athenaeum, Phase I will house a substantial portion of the Trammell and Margaret Crow Museum of Asian Art, along with other galleries, offices, seminar rooms and space for art storage and conservation.
The two-story facility, with an area of 57,408 square feet, will be located south of the Naveen Jindal School of Management building and east of University Parkway, a site that will make the Athenaeum part of the campus gateway.
UT-Dallas President Richard C. Benson said the Athenaeum will sit on what is now a parking lot.
This project schedule anticipates design development approval in February 2022. The construction notice to proceed is expected to be issued in July 2022 and it is estimated the project will take approximately 20 months to complete.
The project delivery method chosen was construction manager-at-risk. Construction will be performed by the Dallas office of the Beck Group.
The total project cost has been estimated at $56,800,000. The building cost, however, is about $40,394,206. The project cost per square foot was estimated at $705 per SF.
Other costs include site development ($2,415,000); furniture and equipment ($500,000); architectural design services ($4,766,177); project management ($1,700,000); project contingency ($1,601,264); and insurance, other professional services and miscellaneous costs account for the remainder.
The Crow family provided a major share of the funding. They also gifted a large portion of their Asian collection. While the Crows are known for the Crow Museum of Asian Art they established in 1998 in the downtown Arts District, less than 30% of the collection is shown. Most of the collection remains in storage warehouses.
In prior reports on the progress of the Athenaeum, it has been said that it will also be home to the Barrett Collection of Swiss Art and the Brettell Reading Room. The Athenaeum will eventually include a performance hall, additional museums and an outdoor plaza.
Future Phases:
Benson told the regents that Phase II will be a facility for the performing arts, with a 600 to 800-seat auditorium.
“Future phases will accommodate additional art collections and visiting exhibitions. And because we are obliterating a surface parking lot, never popular, we will also erect a parking deck to replace the lost parking spaces and make it convenient to visit the Athenaeum,” Benson said.
adolfo@virtualbx.com
