RAIN-CATCHING SCULPTURES

Located on one edge of the University of Texas at Austin, the Blanton Museum of Art encompasses two main buildings: the surrounding grounds and Ellsworth Kelly's Austin architectural pavilion. It has a central courtyard that separates the two structures and where the primary entrances are located and sits in line with an adjacent mall leading to the Texas State Capitol complex.

To anchor the space and establish it as a social space, the studio created ten 40-foot-tall (12 metres) 'petal' shade structures in the courtyard between the museum's buildings and two more towards a drop-off area and visitor's entrance.

Informed by the arches of the loggia that run along the museum, the structures fan out towards the top and feature a fold at the centre, spanning 30 feet (9 metres) at their widest points.

In addition to providing dappled shade through their perforated surfaces, they act as giant rain catchers, capturing water and filtering it down through the column to an underground filtration system.

"Each petal is made of perforated panels and [are] equipped with drainage that moves water from the upper canopy through the column down to grade, allowing for infiltration and passive irrigation into the surrounding subgrade," said Snøhetta. "The perforations of the petals, while smooth on the exterior, are raised on the inside moving water toward the drainage system."

Architect Snøhetta 
Location Austin, Texas
Photography Casey Dunn