The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, located southeast of the University of Texas at Dallas, officially broke ground on May 11th. This project will establish a vibrant cultural district spanning approximately 48,000 square meters, serving as a new gateway and destination for students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community. It aims to foster greater engagement with art and learning.
International architectural firm Morphosis Architects is responsible for the design and planning, centering the development around a central square. The project includes three new buildings and a parking facility: the new Croatian Art Museum, the Performing Arts Center, and the planned Museum of American Art.
The project was generously supported by a $32 million donation from the O’Donnell Foundation. Additionally, the university received significant art collections, including the Cro family’s Asian art collection, Roger Horchow’s collection, Laura and Dan Boeckman’s Latin American folk art, and Bryan J. Stevens’ Puebla Mountain Mask collection.
The first phase focuses on completing the new Croatian Art Museum on campus, anticipated to open in spring 2024.
Art represents human intelligence and creativity and holds a vital role at the University of Texas at Dallas. It enhances disciplines such as mathematics, science, technology, engineering, and management. Integrating art fully into the university’s vision and student experience is essential for nurturing versatile talents. Thanks to the generous support from the O’Donnell Foundation, the Cro family, and other prominent Dallas families, the arts and cultural district will create dynamic spaces that meet the university’s aspirations and establish a northern Texas arts hub.
— Richard Benson
President, University of Texas at Dallas
Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Leadership Chair
Architecture and Design
Following an international search led by Rick Brettell, the initiator of the arts and cultural district, the University of Texas at Dallas selected Morphosis Architects in late 2019 to design this ambitious project.
Morphosis aims to develop a cohesive and vibrant cultural district by integrating architecture and landscape throughout the campus. Their design will transform the university into a distinct cultural destination.
We are honored to collaborate with the University of Texas at Dallas on this important endeavor. The arts and cultural district will revitalize the campus, offering indoor and outdoor spaces for visual and performing arts. It will provide new opportunities for students and the surrounding community to experience the fusion of art and architecture in innovative ways.
— Eni Emerson
Partner, Morphosis Architects
Design Director, Art and Culture Zone
The heart of the new district is an 8,000 square meter square, bordered on the west by three two-story buildings: the 6,300 square meter Croatian Art Museum (Phase I), which includes 1,100 square meters of continuous outdoor space for various activities; the 4,900 square meter Performing Arts Center (Phase II), featuring a 600-seat music hall, practice rooms, and rehearsal spaces; and the 4,600 square meter Museum of American Art (Phase III).
On the east side stands an independent wall behind which lies a two-story above-ground and one-level underground parking facility. This structure offers 1,100 parking spaces, accommodating both the arts district and the university campus.
The square is surrounded by landscaped gardens, shaded walkways, outdoor theaters, open areas with benches and water features, as well as modern sculptures from the Cro Museum collection. This design skillfully weaves together the buildings and campus environment through thoughtful landscaping.
Overall site plan showing the three cultural buildings and parking facility © Morphosis
The three cultural buildings are designed with larger second floors extending beyond the first floor footprint, creating covered outdoor spaces that blend buildings, squares, and landscapes into a unified environment. This design supports diverse activities from morning through night, enriching campus life with learning, gatherings, performances, and exhibitions.
All buildings will feature an exterior skin made of innovative white precast concrete slabs adorned with a unique three-dimensional pattern designed by Morphosis, giving each structure a distinctive visual identity.
△ (Phase I) Croatian Art Museum – Square and Entrance Rendering © Morphosis
The new Croatian Art Museum, part of Phase I, will primarily showcase Asian art within 1,500 square meters of flexible exhibition space. Large windows at each end will allow ample natural light, complemented by advanced shading systems to protect light-sensitive collections.
The museum will also house state-of-the-art art restoration laboratories, storage rooms, seminar spaces, administrative offices, and a library named after Rick Brettell, the project’s initiator, featuring his personal book collection.
In the future, the new building will extend its reach by utilizing the former Croatian Art Museum space in downtown Dallas as an external venue for broader art activities.
As one of the few museums in the United States dedicated to Asian art, the new Croatian Art Museum will significantly enhance the university’s achievements in this field. It will expand exhibition capacity, develop diverse art projects, and leverage the university’s research strengths to advance art conservation and scholarship.
This museum will serve both the university’s community and the broader northern Texas region as a relevant and accessible cultural institution.
— Amy Hoffland
Senior Director, Croatian Art Museum
University of Texas at Dallas
△ (Phase I) Croatian Art Museum – Exhibition Hall and Lobby Rendering © Morphosis
About the Croatian Art Museum (New Building)
Founded in 1998, the Croatian Art Museum aims to inspire and promote learning, participation, and dialogue about Asian art and culture. It achieves this through exhibitions, restoration, research, public education, and collaborations with diverse audiences and partners across North Texas and globally.
The new museum, the district’s first, will showcase over a thousand artworks spanning ancient to contemporary pieces from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, reflecting the richness of Asian art.
The library will hold more than 12,000 books, catalogs, and journals. Additionally, the museum will maintain an extension in downtown Dallas’s art district to augment exhibitions and events.
About the Museum of American Art
The Museum of American Art, the district’s second museum, will highlight the university’s growing collection of Mexican and American folk art. Its exhibits will draw from several significant collections:
- The Roger Hodge collection, donated by the Hodge family of Dallas, includes about 200 Mexican painted wooden, ceramic, and paper sculptures.
- Latin American folk art donated by Laura and Dan Boeckman of Dallas, focusing on Mexican folk art from the late 1980s to present.
- The Puebla Mountain Mask Collection, donated by the late collector Bryan Stevens from Philadelphia, featuring approximately 1,600 Mexican dance masks from northern Puebla Mountains.
About the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Art and Culture District Project
This project marks a major milestone in the expansion of the arts at the University of Texas at Dallas. It began with the establishment of the Edith O’Donnell Institute for Art History (EODIAH) in 2014. Its late founding director, Rick Brettell, envisioned an arts and cultural district to foster interdisciplinary reflection and dialogue across visual and performing arts, literature, and science, creating a bridge between the university and local community.
In 2019, Trammell and Margaret Crow donated $25.45 million and the entire Crow Asian Art Museum collection to support a new museum at the university, bringing the district vision closer to reality.
△ General site layout
△ Base plan
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
△ Roof plan
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Section diagram
△ Section diagram
△ Section diagram
△ Section diagram
Project Information
Location: Texas, USA
Owner: University of Texas at Dallas
Owner Representative: Dr. Calvin Jamison (Vice President of Facilities and Economic Development)
Site Area: 48,000 square meters
Floor Areas:
Phase I – Croatian Art Museum: 5,258 m²
Phase II – Performing Arts Center: 4,923 m²
Phase III – Museum of American Art: 4,645 m²
Art Square: 9,000 square meters
Parking Facilities: 1,100 spaces
Project Type: Master planning, education, culture
Key Features: Croatian Art Museum, Performing Arts Center, Museum of American Art, Art Square, Parking Facilities
Design Period: August 2021 – February 2022
Construction Period: May 2022 – Present (ongoing)
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