Spanish architecture firm Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos wins competition to redesign the Dallas Art Museum

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) has selected the Spanish architecture firm Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos to lead the redesign of the DMA.

The winning proposal was selected out of 154 submissions from around the world. It offers “a reflection of the original building, transforming the relationship between art, landscape, and community into a balance of memory and innovation,” according to the architects.

The winning concept design is available to view in a free presentation on Mezzanine Level 2 at the DMA through and on the competition website.

The design addresses flow, sustainability, and gallery expansion while also showing respect for the existing building. The campus was originally designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes in 1984, and the competition aimed to redesign the museum’s grounds, increase physical visibility and transparency, and make the DMA more hospitable and open to all.

Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos’s solution focuses on enhancing the main axis of the museum by bringing in natural light from above, increasing accessibility by rethinking the stepped ground floor ramp, and making visual connections through the entire building. The design also creates more intuitive traffic flow. The gallery space will be extended with a floating square extension on the roof, creating a flexible space for displaying contemporary art.

The new addition also incorporates an event space and restaurant, along with a roof terrace overlooking Klyde Warren Park. Two new dynamic facades at the south and north of the building will help increase visibility and invite visitors to explore the museum campus.

Rainfall collection is also included in the plan. Other sustainability initiatives include a “bioclimatic” design and solar plus geothermal electricity generation.