Dallas, TX
Dallas Museum of Art picks little-known Spanish architects for museum expansion
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/TFTU4O7VR5GONGD36LPOMSTNQE.jpg "Dallas Museum of Art picks little-known Spanish architects for museum expansion")
Defying expectation and a long civic tradition of hiring big-name architects for signature projects, the Dallas Museum of Art has selected the Spanish firm Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos as lead designers for an expansion intended to “reimagine” the museum’s Arts District home.
Bravo.
Widely respected in European architecture circles but virtually unknown in the United States, Nieto Sobejano was chosen from a field of six finalists, among them Pritzker Prize laureate David Chipperfield and High Line architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The DMA expansion will be the first project in this country for the firm and among its largest to date, with a budget estimated at $150 million to $175 million.
To look at the firm’s proposal is to understand why it was chosen by the museum’s selection committee: It was the most elegant of the six choices and also the most logical, deftly answering the museum’s imperatives to become more transparent, better integrate with its surroundings, bring clarity to its internal spaces and add new gallery space for the large collections of contemporary art it will soon inherit. Above all, it was downright beautiful.
“Their concept design mixes a poetic sensibility with a dynamic and sustainable design strategy that respects Edward Larrabee Barnes’ original intentions, all the while preparing us to become a 21st-century museum,” said the DMA’s board president, Gowri Sharma, and board chair, Jeffrey Ellerman, in a joint statement.
The proposal, released to the public last month, would wrap the museum’s north and south facades in a skin of punctured white metal that would glow from within, making the museum a literal Arts District beacon. The new contemporary gallery would be perched on top of the museum, a crisp white box lit by skylights, floating above a broad new roof terrace.
At ground level, a remade plaza would open the museum to Klyde Warren Park, making what is now a glorified driveway into a welcoming space for people rather than cars. (That said, it could use more shade.) The barren Ross Avenue lawn would be transformed into a stepped amphitheater leading into the museum, finally giving it an inviting connection to downtown.
Within, the architects would create a gracious new front lobby and open up the grim and tedious ramped “street” that runs the length of the museum, flattening it and lighting it from skylights. Of some concern: the use of stairs as a central design element, which presents problems of accessibility.
For all these changes, the proposal retains much of the essential structure of Barnes’ original design, which opened in 1984 and was expanded by Barnes in the 1990s. It was, from the outset, a stolid presence in the city, and the expansion made navigation less than straightforward. “The reimagined DMA will be a reflection of the original building, transforming the relationship between art, landscape, and community into a balance of memory and innovation,” the firm wrote in a design statement. Preserving much of Barnes’ structure is a victory for history and also sustainability, reducing the carbon footprint of the project.
In Nieto Sobejano, the DMA has commissioned a firm of unusual thoughtfulness with a distinguished record of museum design and of working with legacy structures, often centuries older than the DMA. It was established in 1985 by Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano, who are married, and has offices in Madrid and Berlin. Although this is their first work in the United States, both partners are graduates of the architecture school at Columbia University in New York.
Nieto will be the only female principal to have built in the Arts District, a positive (albeit small) step in the right direction for the city. The project design team also includes the Dallas-based landscape architects SWA Group and Houston-based PGAL, serving as “local” architect.
Nieto Sobejano’s work is characterized by volumes with clear geometries and inventively textured facade treatments. In numerous projects that entail the transformation of historic architecture, the architects tend to form sharp contrasts between old and new, recontextualizing the past without erasing it. In a 2015 lecture at the Architectural League of New York, the couple described the role of memory in their work. “At some point a forgotten memory, an image, a sound or a sentence we recorded reappears in the process of every project: an indication that guides us toward a certain path.”
The firm’s San Telmo Museum (2011), a transformation of a 16th-century Dominican convent in the Basque city of San Sebastián, exemplifies its working philosophy. Punched aluminum walls are juxtaposed with the historic structure, creating an unfolding complex of spaces. Writing in the Architectural Review, critic Catherine Slessor lauded it as “a finely tuned exercise in abstraction, of subtle layering and shifting.” She also praised the firm for its ability to “decode” historic buildings and determine “how such structures can be re-energized to address contemporary functions.”
The firm’s ability to create dynamic facades might best be demonstrated by the Montblanc Haus (2022), a showroom and museum building adjacent to the pen maker’s manufacturing facility outside of Hamburg. (The company is German, not French or Swiss, as is commonly thought.) Modeled on Montblanc’s signature black presentation case, the building is a 100-meter-long concrete box distinguished by a relief pattern (produced by altering the surface depth of the concrete) that stretches clear across the facade, mimicking both an alpine skyline and the stroke of a pen.
Other significant works include the Madinat al-Zahra Museum in Córdoba, Spain (2009), the Moritzburg Museum in Halle, Germany (2008), and the Cité du Théâtre in Paris (to be completed in 2024). In recent months, the firm has also won competitions for museums in the French city of Vannes and the Spanish city of Pontevedra.
Nieto Sobejano has presented the DMA with a convincing design, which is a good start, but only that. The museum must now determine exactly what its dream house will cost, and how it might pay for it. That budget must address not just the new building, but the long-term costs of keeping it up and keeping it staffed.
It will also have to continuously prove, and not just with words, that this expansion is truly a work for the entire city of Dallas, and not for the glorification of the philanthropists who will have their names printed on its handsome new walls.
So far, so good.
FRISCO, Texas – Nine-time Pro Bowler Zach Martin has officially retired.
The Dallas Cowboys guard reflected on his football career on Wednesday and thanked everyone who helped him along the way.
Martin is retiring as one of the most decorated players in franchise history.
Eleven years ago, Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones convinced his father, Jerry, to draft Martin over quarterback Johnny Manziel. It was the right choice.
The offensive lineman from Notre Dame went on to become a Cowboys legend.
Only Cowboys Hall of Famers Bob Lilly and Randy White were also named first-team All-Pro players seven times.
Martin said his only regret is that he never got to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with his teammates.
“But I am incredibly proud of the road we traveled and everything we accomplished along the way. I hope I left as much of an impression on this organization as it did on me. There’s a deep sense of pride in knowing I gave everything to one team, one city, one team, one organization my entire career,” he said.
Former teammate Tony Romo, who attended Martin’s retirement celebration at The Star, said even as a rookie, Martin was one of the best linemen he’s ever played with.
Martin will be eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration in 2029.
The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, a rematch after these teams just played in Dallas on Saturday. The Bucks won that matchup, and Dallas already looks vastly different than they did in that game. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL and Jaden Hardy sprained his ankle on Monday night, adding to a lengthy injury report.
It might be easier to list who actually was available for the Mavericks, but here’s who they were missing: Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, Caleb Martin, and Kai Jones.
With that many players out, Dallas started Spencer Dinwiddie, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Dwight Powell, the 33rd different starting lineup of the season. Milwaukee started Damian Lillard, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez.
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It was an admirable start for the depleted Mavericks. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combining for Milwaukee’s first 20 points, Dallas was hanging around thanks to 9 early points from Klay Thompson. But after the game was tied at 16, Milwaukee went on an 18-3 run to take a stranglehold of the game.
Dallas scored six straight points to get the lead back to 10, but they couldn’t get any stops. Kyle Kuzma scored the last seven points of the half for Milwaukee, and they’d take a 43-30 lead into the second quarter.
Max Christie and Brandon Williams helped bring Milwaukee’s advantage down to six again, but then the Bucks reinserted Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and took off again. Those two continued to terrorize the Mavericks, shooting the ball very efficiently and spreading the ball around to open shooters, allowing the Bucks to shoot 63% from the floor in the first half.
Giannis had 26 points and Damian Lillard had 20, allowing the Bucks to take a 72-53 lead into halftime. Dallas’ offense was playing fine, but they had no rim protection against a team you desperately need it.
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The third quarter was more of the same, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard continued to torch the Mavs. Giannis crossed the 20,000 career points mark in the third quarter, but he and Lillard crossed 30 points for the game before the end of the third quarter as the Bucks crossed the century mark with three minutes to go in the frame.
Dallas was still scoring somewhat, as Naji Marshall scored nine points in a row before the end of the quarter, but Milwaukee still had a 106-79 lead heading into the fourth.
There wouldn’t be any unnecessary drama in the fourth quarter, as the Bucks emptied the bench, and went on to win 137-107.
Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 28 points, but he attempted a season-high 27 shots to get there. Naji Marshall (22 points, 10 rebounds, a few of those points came well into garbage time), Brandon Williams (14 points), and Max Christie (13 points) were also in double figures.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were incredible for the Bucks, with Giannis putting up 32 points and 15 rebounds on 13/20 shooting, and Lillard had 34 points on 11/15 shooting, including 5/8 from three. Kevin Porter Jr. had a triple-double off the bench, which made me have to triple-check the stat sheet, finishing with 10 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. AJ Green (18 points, 6/9 three-point shooting), Kyle Kuzma (17 points), and Jericho Sims (10 points) were also in double figures.
Dallas returns home to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.
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FIFA says the Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will host the International Broadcast Center for all FIFA World Cup 2026 matches.
The announcement was confirmed Wednesday at Dallas City Hall and marks the second time the city has hosted the IBC. Dallas last hosted the IBC in Fair Park during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
I’m honored to be with you all today. On behalf of FIFA and FIFA World Cup 26, it’s an absolute pleasure to confirm that Dallas and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will serve as the International Broadcast Center for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Amy Hopfinger, chief business and strategy officer with FIFA World Cup 26
The IBC is a global broadcast operations center for all 104 matches of the tournament in 16 North American cities, including Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
From January 2026 to August 2026, the IBC will be the nerve center for TV, radio, and new media operations and will house about 2,000 broadcast media representatives.
“Hosting the IBC is a tremendous honor. I still today hear about 1994, hosting that IBC at Fair Park, and the experiences that volunteers had and the people from all over the world that they had a chance to meet,” said Monica Paul, president, North Texas FIFA World Cup 26 Organizing Committee. “I really hope we take this opportunity in 2026 and really show these broadcasters and media why we love Dallas, why we call this place home so they can share that across the world with people in their countries.”
The facility will span 485,000 square feet and ensure seamless coverage of the tournament, reaching billions of fans worldwide. It will serve as the headquarters for FIFA’s host broadcaster, media partners, FIFA content production, and football technology.
“Hosting thousands of professionals for seven months is no small task,” Hopfinger said. “The IBC will offer a range of services for individuals helping to take this groundbreaking tournament, the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, to over 200 countries worldwide.
In addition to hosting broadcast operations, the IBC will provide wraparound services to help those covering the games, including a 24-hour cafe, express shipping services, banking, and dry cleaning.
Paul and Hopfinger were joined Wednesday by Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson, Zarin Gracey, council member/chair ad hoc committee on professional sports recruitment and retention, City of Dallas, Jesse Moreno, Dallas City Council Member District 2 and Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert.
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