Archinect - Adventures of the architecture student 2024-11-21T07:01:34-05:00 https://archinect.com/blog/article/126273373/a-reflection-on-simplicity A Reflection on Simplicity Peter Foniciello 2015-04-28T13:26:00-04:00 >2024-09-06T13:42:10-04:00 <p>Have you ever been to the Contemporary Arts Museum in the Houston Museum District? Have you ever been there at sunset and seen how the museum appears to fade away somewhere between the earth and sky? If not, allow me to introduce you to one of Houston's most popular buildings. On the other hand, if you have already seen it, let me present to you one more time the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston through the lens of the architecture student!</p><p>A group of Houstonians founded the Contemporary Arts Museum in 1948, after an epoch marked by much destruction caused by World War II. The goal was to present the general public with lectures, social projects, and art exhibits that were considered to be very influential in Modern times. This undertaking became very popular and drew large crowds and exhibits to its original facility. Nearly two decades later, the museum&rsquo;s director decided to expand the museum&rsquo;s footprint, and commissioned Gunnar Birkerts, a Latvian-American architect, to design ...</p>