Nasher Sculpture Center

The late Ray Nasher commissioned Renzo Piano to design a museum and garden to house his family’s preeminent collection modern sculpture.  The project served as his legacy and gift to his native city of Dallas. The Nasher Sculpture Center is a model of restraint and elegance.  The five galleries, defined by six parallel travertine walls bridged by delicately suspended glass roofs, absorb natural light like a breathing organism.  The cast aluminum sun shading panels hover above the glass like a fine gauze mesh, tracing the trajectory of the sun and allowing only indirect light to penetrate the gallery spaces.

Project components include: public exhibit space, indoor/outdoor auditorium, outdoor sculpture garden, James Turrell skyspace, administrative offices, restaurant, and retail.

Brett Terpeluk’s Role: 2000-2003.  Brett played a seminal role in the design and construction management of this project.  He was the key liason between client, contractor, and RPBW, travelling to Dallas on a monthly basis to coordinate the office’s efforts and ensure implementation of the design vision.

“I have worked over my career on four different major museum building projects can say that my relationship with Brett Terpeluk was one of the most productive working relationships I had with any of the architects on those diverse projects. As project architect for Renzo Piano for the Nasher Sculpture Center, Brett demonstrated an extraordinary professionalism and creativity in the implementation of the project’s design vision.  His role as liaison between the Piano office, the executive architects, the client and contractor was critical to the project’s successful completion on schedule and its widespread critical acclaim.”

Steven Nash: Former Director Nasher Sculpture Center