Museum Tower And Its Mirrored Glass Makes Cover of May D Magazine

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The May 2010 D Magazine cover story alleges that Museum Tower is ruining the Arts District.

UPDATE: You can read the words behind the headline on D Magazine’s website.

The tagline of the May 2012 cover story of D Magazine says it all: “How arrogance and greed made Museum Tower a threat to the heart of Dallas.”

Eesh. That’s pretty harsh.

The cover, which D Magazine editor Tim Rogers gave Twitter a sneak peek of yesterday, has a photo showing the glare bouncing off of Museum Tower at 3 p.m. According to the cutline, it’s a strong as “two and a half Suns.”

Knowing Rogers and the D Magazine staff, I’m sure there was a ton of research behind this story. If you’ll remember, Michael Granberry at the DMN wrote a story (paywalled, but worth a read) about the same issue. In Candy’s post covering the issue, she wrote:

Well, the Nasher Sculpture Center says it’s the newly installed glass at Museum Tower that’s frying up their gardens and art. The glass is sleek and curved and reflects the sun just so efficiently — too efficiently — that the Nasher folks claim the building’s oval shape actually “directs the glare from its exterior into the Nasher galleries.”

So, Museum Tower is allegedly damaging a museum. I know the irony is not lost on any of our readers. Anyone else curious how “greed” and “arrogance” come into play?

This whole episode reminds me of my childhood. You see, the face of Museum Tower is convex, not unlike a magnifying glass. My brother, like all sadistic little boys do, took a magnifying glass to ants ambling across our parents’ driveway.

Except, the magnifying glass in this case is a 42-story highrise, and the ants are priceless artworks collected by one of Dallas’ most beloved benefactors.

Something tells me this won’t end well.

Joanna England is the Executive Editor at CandysDirt.com and covers the North Texas housing market.

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  1. Candy Evans on April 18, 2012 at 10:55 am

    But here's the deal, Joanna: this owner really cares! John Sughrue is an avid art lover and I KNOW he will do everything in his power to save the art and solve this problem! I have honestly never met anyone more dedicated to a building. Museum Tower is his baby, he's dedicated years of planning and love. I see this as Dallas having growing pains. We are getting more dense downtown, with buildings squeezing in next to each other. I know there is another project in the works by Craig Hall going in right behind the Winspear Opera House.

  2. Candy Evans on April 18, 2012 at 10:55 am

    But here's the deal, Joanna: this owner really cares! John Sughrue is an avid art lover and I KNOW he will do everything in his power to save the art and solve this problem! I have honestly never met anyone more dedicated to a building. Museum Tower is his baby, he's dedicated years of planning and love. I see this as Dallas having growing pains. We are getting more dense downtown, with buildings squeezing in next to each other. I know there is another project in the works by Craig Hall going in right behind the Winspear Opera House.

  3. Elmer Fudd on April 18, 2012 at 11:52 am

    Oh my. The anecdote at the end of this is so utterly wrong.

    Reflections off a convex surface ( http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refln/u13l4a.cfm) are very different than refraction through a double convex lens (http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/u14l5b.cfm).

    What appears to be happening is that the garden is always getting sun. Since the building is convex, the sun can be reflected directly onto the garden over a larger portion of the day.

  4. Elmer Fudd on April 18, 2012 at 11:52 am

    Oh my. The anecdote at the end of this is so utterly wrong.

    Reflections off a convex surface ( http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refln/u13l4a.cfm) are very different than refraction through a double convex lens (http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/u14l5b.cfm).

    What appears to be happening is that the garden is always getting sun. Since the building is convex, the sun can be reflected directly onto the garden over a larger portion of the day.

  5. Joanna England on April 18, 2012 at 12:10 pm

    Thanks for the science lesson, Elmer. While the problem may not be exactly like scorching ants with a magnifying glass, there's still some scorching, no?

    I am just hoping that there is some way to fix the problem that won't A) hurt Museum Tower's profitability or financials B) do any long-term damage to the Arts District or the Nasher.

    I do agree with Candy, that this is a major case of growing pains. We know we want a vibrant downtown and Arts Dictrict, and a residential development on this scale will definitely help with that.

  6. Joanna England on April 18, 2012 at 12:10 pm

    Thanks for the science lesson, Elmer. While the problem may not be exactly like scorching ants with a magnifying glass, there's still some scorching, no?

    I am just hoping that there is some way to fix the problem that won't A) hurt Museum Tower's profitability or financials B) do any long-term damage to the Arts District or the Nasher.

    I do agree with Candy, that this is a major case of growing pains. We know we want a vibrant downtown and Arts Dictrict, and a residential development on this scale will definitely help with that.

  7. Grace on April 18, 2012 at 12:46 pm

    >> Anyone else curious how “greed” and “arrogance” come into play?
    How Greed comes into play? The initial tower proposal was for 21 stories-high. The initial demand was so high they double the height of the tower. And I believe they did initial studies that showed at 21 stories high the glare wouldn't affect the Nasher.
    Arrogance. I remember reading one story saying quoting the tower builders saying that the glare issue is Nasher's problem not the tower's.

    • House Wolf on April 20, 2012 at 4:03 pm

      This project has been failed and cursed from the begining. Failed and cursed by the original developers Sughrue, Burgin, Greene, Boeckman who built this project from their own greed, arrogance and egos. They have held on to that “arrogance” throughout this whole failing process. The only thing John Sughrue is “heartbroken” over is that he and his group make NO money. Face the music boys…and clean this mess up! This time your GREED has destroyed what would have been the greatest arts district in the world. Thanks guys.

  8. Grace on April 18, 2012 at 12:46 pm

    >> Anyone else curious how “greed” and “arrogance” come into play?
    How Greed comes into play? The initial tower proposal was for 21 stories-high. The initial demand was so high they double the height of the tower. And I believe they did initial studies that showed at 21 stories high the glare wouldn't affect the Nasher.
    Arrogance. I remember reading one story saying quoting the tower builders saying that the glare issue is Nasher's problem not the tower's.

    • House Wolf on April 20, 2012 at 4:03 pm

      This project has been failed and cursed from the begining. Failed and cursed by the original developers Sughrue, Burgin, Greene, Boeckman who built this project from their own greed, arrogance and egos. They have held on to that “arrogance” throughout this whole failing process. The only thing John Sughrue is “heartbroken” over is that he and his group make NO money. Face the music boys…and clean this mess up! This time your GREED has destroyed what would have been the greatest arts district in the world. Thanks guys.

  9. Blake on April 18, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    John Sughrue isn't the owner, the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System is. They bought it from Sughrue and his partners.

  10. Blake on April 18, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    John Sughrue isn't the owner, the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System is. They bought it from Sughrue and his partners.

  11. Candy Evans on April 18, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    @Blake true, which basically means the City owns it. And I am hopeful they will want a beneficial solution. What if it were a foreign investor who didn't give a rats' you know what about Dallas? These people care, we surely hope. And I cannot imagine this has not happened in NYC or Vancouver.

    • House Wolf on April 20, 2012 at 4:19 pm

      The city doesn't own it. The Dallas Police Firefighters Pension fund owns it. Two completely seperate entities. The orginal developers were partners with DPFF pension from the begining then after failing to sell any units…the DPFF took the developers ownership and reduced their responsibilty to just a management contractor. There is no beneficial outcome here…too many important entities are lividly angry. And oh yea…the going price is $1,000 a square foot. Who'd pay that to live in the "hottest place on earth".

  12. Candy Evans on April 18, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    @Blake true, which basically means the City owns it. And I am hopeful they will want a beneficial solution. What if it were a foreign investor who didn't give a rats' you know what about Dallas? These people care, we surely hope. And I cannot imagine this has not happened in NYC or Vancouver.

    • House Wolf on April 20, 2012 at 4:19 pm

      The city doesn't own it. The Dallas Police Firefighters Pension fund owns it. Two completely seperate entities. The orginal developers were partners with DPFF pension from the begining then after failing to sell any units…the DPFF took the developers ownership and reduced their responsibilty to just a management contractor. There is no beneficial outcome here…too many important entities are lividly angry. And oh yea…the going price is $1,000 a square foot. Who'd pay that to live in the "hottest place on earth".

  13. Gmom on April 18, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    Can anyone of you tell me why the "Arts District" was not put at the Fair Part? Do we have a City Planner? For the money spend to build even the DMA,the Nasher,the Winspear, the this person or that person on a really bust Highway (what is the smog doing to the Art?), Dallas could have put all those "vanity buildings" at the Fair Grounds, build a wonderful Avenue to get there and had a real business/commercial center Downtown. Guess it all boils down to Karma and egos.

    • bettycrocker on April 19, 2012 at 11:00 am

      Dallas is not an "artzy" city. If you put the DMA, museums, and other venues in Fair Park, no one would visit, even if you "cleaned up" the neighborhood. When it comes to culture, "if you build it, they will come" does NOT apply in Dallas. Sad to say, but you are going to have to build new and pretty buildings to attract Dallasites to anything. Hopefully people will still be interested in the arts when the novelty of the buildings wear off.

  14. Gmom on April 18, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    Can anyone of you tell me why the "Arts District" was not put at the Fair Part? Do we have a City Planner? For the money spend to build even the DMA,the Nasher,the Winspear, the this person or that person on a really bust Highway (what is the smog doing to the Art?), Dallas could have put all those "vanity buildings" at the Fair Grounds, build a wonderful Avenue to get there and had a real business/commercial center Downtown. Guess it all boils down to Karma and egos.

    • bettycrocker on April 19, 2012 at 11:00 am

      Dallas is not an "artzy" city. If you put the DMA, museums, and other venues in Fair Park, no one would visit, even if you "cleaned up" the neighborhood. When it comes to culture, "if you build it, they will come" does NOT apply in Dallas. Sad to say, but you are going to have to build new and pretty buildings to attract Dallasites to anything. Hopefully people will still be interested in the arts when the novelty of the buildings wear off.

  15. Blake on April 19, 2012 at 11:02 am

    Judging from the reporting in the D Magazine article, the pension fund doesn't sound like they're all that willing. Of course, any solution will come out of the pension checks of former Dallas police and firefighters. In Vancouver or New York do you think the police and fire pension fund would not only finance the project when no one else would but buy it outright without any contingencies on presales then double the size of the building?

  16. Blake on April 19, 2012 at 11:02 am

    Judging from the reporting in the D Magazine article, the pension fund doesn't sound like they're all that willing. Of course, any solution will come out of the pension checks of former Dallas police and firefighters. In Vancouver or New York do you think the police and fire pension fund would not only finance the project when no one else would but buy it outright without any contingencies on presales then double the size of the building?

  17. Candy Evans on April 19, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    @Blake: I just read the article quickly, what a mess!!!

  18. Candy Evans on April 19, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    @Blake: I just read the article quickly, what a mess!!!

  19. […] Tom Luce, managing director and founding partner of Dallas law firm Hughes & Luce, has agreed to be the go-between as the Nasher Sculpture Center and Museum Tower look to find a solution to their very, very hot problem. […]

  20. […] Tom Luce, managing director and founding partner of Dallas law firm Hughes & Luce, has agreed to be the go-between as the Nasher Sculpture Center and Museum Tower look to find a solution to their very, very hot problem. […]

  21. […] was built, apparently, over an old elevator shaft. Cool or freaky? Thank GOD it’s not reflective glass! Be Sociable, Share! Tweet This entry was posted in Dallas real estate news and tagged […]

  22. […] was built, apparently, over an old elevator shaft. Cool or freaky? Thank GOD it’s not reflective glass! Be Sociable, Share! Tweet This entry was posted in Dallas real estate news and tagged […]

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