Crow Collection of Asian Art

Dallas has a growing young Asian community. This 35,000 SF facility is dedicated to Asian art, displaying an extensive jade collection and providing space for Asian performances, such as Japanese opera. The project also includes a 1,200 SF restaurant by an up-and-coming local chef specializing in Japanese cuisine, as well as a retail store of Asian artifacts to support the museum.

Nature is the basis of much of Asian art and culture, from ancient artifacts to contemporary works. The shared elemental natural and artistic building blocks are utilized to form an architectural language for the addition – curve, layer, movement, multiplicity, detail, and craft.

Stemming from this underlying inspiration, the pods of the gallery are conceived as Lotus flowers with overlapping petals, that begin to curl and unfold as the building rounds the corner. These pods rise from a simple pedestal created to connect with and continue the plinth of the existing structure, creating a deconstructed form that contrasts with its monolithic built surroundings. Similarly, breaking the form of the expansion into petals speaks to the multiple spaces and functions within. The open petals, with glazed breaks between, demonstrate an exuberance and accessibility that cannot be contained by a closed geometry. Jade patterns on the stainless steel cladding hint at the artwork within.

This work was designed and completed by Suman Sorg while at Sorg Architects.