Following last week’s look at an opening for a Landscape Designer at Balmori Associates, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an opportunity on Archinect Jobs for a Senior Project Manager at The Menil Collection.
The role, based at the Menil campus in Houston, TX, calls for an individual who will “lead museum and neighborhood capital projects and provide aesthetic guidance on architectural integrity and quality standards for the Menil’s buildings and grounds.” Among the credentials requested in applicants are a master’s degree in architecture or a related field, and a minimum of five years of project management experience in residential, small commercial, or related projects.
Why the role interests us
The open role at The Menil Collection offers us the opportunity to explore the private art collection’s championing of considered architecture on its campus. The collection’s main building, opened in 1987, was designed by Renzo Piano and houses art from the prehistoric to the present day.
“The guiding principles of the project were the use of natural light and the conservation of works of art,” the firm says about their approach. “This resulted in the creation of a curved structural element made of 25mm thick ferro-cement, which became known as a ‘leaf’… Replicated 291 times, these leaves became the inner layer of the roof whose main function is to filter daylight. Each leaf is held in place on a steel grid.”
Meanwhile, the Menil Drawing Institute building was designed by Johnston Marklee and opened in 2018. As we reported in our coverage of the building at the time, the institute was “designed at an intimate scale” with a “low-lying, elongated form that not only complements its park-like surroundings and nearby historic structures but also signals potential future growth.”
Elsewhere, the campus’ Cy Twombly Gallery was opened in 1995, designed by artist Twombly in collaboration with Renzo Piano. “The proportions and color of the concrete blocks and the single stepped base on which they rest create a strong yet quiet exterior,” Menil explains. “Piano designed a system for filtering sunlight by ingeniously layering fixed and moving louvers, a steel canopy, a skylight, and sailcloth, all of which hover above the unpainted plaster walls to produce a Mediterranean glow.”
The influence of well-known architects on Menil also extends beyond its campus. In the 1940s the de Menil family commissioned Philip Johnson to design a long, low, flat-roofed, courtyard house to accommodate their growing family and art collection. “Filled with art and frequented by artists, their home was a hotbed of ideas and a hatchery for the museum,” Menil says about the house, which was also Johnson’s first residential commission.
Further reading for interested candidates
Job Highlights is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Meet Your Next Employer series profiles and interviews interesting studios with open positions currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.
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