Douglas Newby Insights - Page 32
Barrel Vault and Water
We see barrel vaults everywhere, but the only barrel vault so firmly etched in my mind are those at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth designed by Louis Kahn. It is hard to think of a barrel, even when it is above us, and not think of wine, whiskey, water, or a cask of some sort. There is a resolution to this barrel vault as we get to see water alongside it, as if this barrel vault actually contains the water, even from its inverted position.
#BarrelVault #LouisKahn #Design #Architecture #Architect #KimbellArtMuseum #KimbellMuseum #Museum #Water #FortWorth #Art #landscape #landscapedesign #landscapearchitecture
Groomed Texas Prairie
What a nice approach to the Louis Kahn designed Kimbell Art Museum with the Renzo Piano designed addition to the museum at one’s back. So often museums have esplanades of concrete or stone, or they are ceremoniously overplanted. The Kimbell Art Museum may be the only museum that transcends the traditional rivalry between Dallas and Fort Worth because both cities take such great pride in this destination museum and cultural landmark. I love that one is immediately reminded we are in the plains of Texas, not the hill country of Austin, or in the canyons of Amarillo. Just as plains go dormant and a horizon becomes endless, this approach provides no distraction to the anticipation of seeing the architectural genius of Louis Kahn and the wonderful permanent art collection inside the museum.
#LouisKahn #Landscape #LandscapeDesign #MuseumApproach #Architect #Architecture #Texas #Plains #Horizon #Design #FortWorth #Museum #KimbellArtMuseum #design
Balenciaga Custom Fitting
What a surprise to see me in this reflection at the Balenciaga in Black Exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum. I have stood for Savile Row suit fittings and this is what this shot reminded me of. The entire exhibit was a bit of a surprise as it exceeded my expectations. I have an even greater appreciation of black. Exhibited side by side were two Balenciaga-designed dresses of the same design, one in color, one in black. The one in color looked bulbous and overwrought. The one in black looked sinuous and modern.
#Balenciaga #Fashion #Dress #Reflection #Fitting #Bespoke #FortWorth #Design #Museum #Exhibition #Exhibit #KimbellArtMuseum #PeriodFashion #portrait
1950 Balenciaga
In 1950 Cristobal Balenciaga designed this dress shown in the Kimbell Art Museum Balenciaga in Black exhibit. The Basque Country born Balenciaga was Spain’s leading designer the same time Marion Fooshee and James Cheek were designing Spanish Colonial homes as the leading architects in Dallas. By 1950 Balenciaga’s designs were not as markedly Spanish, but they simultaneously embraced the past and the future. By the 1960s, just as architecture in Dallas became more modern, so did Balenciaga’s designs. It is fun to look at design from two parts of the world, at the precise point of history, halfway through the 20th century. Tomorrow my post will show you my biggest surprise at the exhibit.
#Spanish #SpanishDesigner #Balenciaga #1950 #Fashion #Design #Dress #FoosheeAndCheek #Dallas #PeriodFashion #Architect #Architecture #FashionDesign #KimbellArtMuseum #BalenciagaInBlack #Exhibit #FortWorth #Exhibition #Museum #photography #portrait #portraitphotography #fashionphotography
1950 Fooshee
In 1950 Marion Fooshee designed this Greenway Parks home which became the most expensive home to be built in 1951 in Dallas. Fooshee and Cheek are best known for their 1920s and 1930s Spanish Colonial designed homes and Highland Park Village. Here, Fooshee near the end of his life designed this home in an American Colonial style. The day after Christmas this home sold making it the highest priced sale ever of an original home in Greenway Parks. The very nice family who purchased it will proceed with additional renovations. The best architecture, regardless of the style, and the best sites, consistently outperform the prices of the excellent homes that surround them. This closed sale prompted me to go the next day to the Kimbell Museum to see the fashion of 1950, seen at the Balenciaga in Black exhibit. I will post my findings tomorrow.
#1950 #SpanishColonial #AmericanColonial #Architecture #Architect #Design #GreenwayParks #Neighborhood #FoosheeAndCheek #Dallas #History #ConservationDistrict #HomesThatMakeUsHappy #ArchitecturallySignificantHomes
Dallas Eras
Each era of Dallas period architecture visually launched the optimism and confidence for the city. We see this from the George Dahl architect-designed Neiman Marcus building in 1914 going forward. This optimism continues to permeate the city as architecturally significant buildings are built and new businesses emerge and grow. What can we expect from the 2020s era ?
#NeimanMarcus #Dallas #DowntownDallas #Architect #GeorgeDahl #Architecture #Design #Early20thCentury #Historic #PeriodArchitecture #DallasOptimism #Mainstream #DallasEra
Front Porch Neighborhood
Front porches are best known in Dallas, associated with the residential historic districts where neighbors routinely meet, visit, and entertain on their front porches. It is fun to see a thoroughly modern neighborhood with front porches like this one designed by architect Joshua Nimmo in Urban Reserve, that are also used spontaneously with neighbors walking by and joining the homeowners on their front porch. Visible from the street, this front porch is just secluded enough to privately enjoy the duck pond. The Urban Reserve neighborhood continues the joy of front porches connecting the neighbors and nature to the homes.
#FrontPorch #ModernNeighborhoods #Neighbors #Neighborhoods #Pond #Modern #Architect #Architecture #Contemporary #Design #PathToTrinityGroves #Dallas #DallasNeighborhood @NimmoArchitecture #JoshuaNimmo #UrbanNeighborhood #UrbanReserve
Beams Connect
Beams in modern homes have a structural purpose; they also have a visual aesthetic purpose. Here architect Joshua Nimmo designed continuous beams to connect the interior and exterior space with the exposed beams that run from the interior ceiling to the exterior trellis. The 2-ft wide linear swathe of exposed ceiling also connects the interior ceiling with the sky, further connecting the home with nature and the exterior space.
#ContinuousBeams #Trellis #BriseSoleil #Porch #ExposedBeam #CeilingBeam #Ceiling #Design #Dallas #UrbanReserve #Neighborhood #DallasNeighborhood #Architect #Architecture #Contemporary #ModernHome #ModernDesign #NimmoArchitecture
Christmas Toy
Here is a mounted toy given to me one Christmas by artist David McManaway. It was accompanied by my traditional Christmas present from him, a David McManaway autograph. This particular Christmas it was presented on the cover of a book opened to a small painting he did of himself as a child playing with the toy. One of the great joys of living on Tremont Street was experiencing David McManaway immersing himself in the art of life every day. He had the best eye I knew for finding objects, composing found objects into JOMO boards and an eye for seeing the irony and fun in life missed by most. Roger Winter is curating a show of his and David McManaway’s friends at the Kirk Hopper Gallery opening on January 19, 2019.
#DavidMcManaway #Art #Artist #Toy #WoodenToy #Autograph #Design #Nostalgia #Historic #Christmas #ChristmasGift #TremontStreetArtists #FoundObjects
@KirkHopperFineArt #KirkHopperFineArt #RogerWinter #ArtOpening #dallas #neighborhood
Historical Sorbet
Christmas takes a step back from rapid race to the future. Whether one reflects on religious tradition, family tradition, or other traditions, we are surrounded by the memories of celebrations and traditions that create a pause in our incessant march forward. A blue spruce Christmas tree, mid-century multicolored lights, viewed from six different rooms in a 110-year-old home, all add to the joy and nostalgic relief from grasping at the wonderful opportunities of the future.
#BlueSpruce #ChristmasTree #Historic #Christmas #JoySpotting #Tradition #ChristmasTradition #HistoricHome #ChristmasOrnament
#dallas #mungerplace