Breaking: Museum Tower Says Glare 100% Solved by Changing Nasher Roof, and MT Will Foot the Bill

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Nasher rooftop

Comes word a few minutes ago that the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, which owns Museum Tower, has found and presented a solution the the reflective glare issue that has been a subject of a sometimes contentious debate now for more than a year.

That solution is changing the roof, notably the oculi, of the Nasher to a new orientation. And the Pension System says they will pay for it, lock stock and barrell. MT officials do, however, dispute Nasher’s claims that damage has already been done to several works of at The Nasher.

“Until the exterior of the building went up, Museum Tower developers were not aware that the oculi sunscreen system that covers the Nasher Sculpture Center’s glass roof was pointed directly at Museum Tower property, and that its high performance, energy efficient glass reflected sunlight into the galleries during certain times of the day.  This was an unexpected development and an unintended consequence.”

A solution to the sunlight reflections between Museum Tower and the Nasher Sculpture Center was presented to the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System this morning, after having been presented to Nasher trustees in April.  Pension System Trustees had asked for an update, so the whole caboodle was presented to them today. Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s is marketing the 42 story tall condominium tower that is the most expensive high rise real estate in town and now offers a full 2-year buy back guarantee. 

“The solution represents the conclusion of a year and a half long study, computer modeling and peer review testing by a world class team of engineers, optical scientists and architects that eliminates reflected sunlight from Museum Tower entering the Nasher Sculpture Center galleries.  This solution restores the visitor experience in the Nasher galleries to comparable pre-Museum Tower conditions.”

Well, here is the entire release. More to come, of course, so check back with us:

Museum Tower Engineers Develop Solution to

Reflections on Nasher Sculpture Center

 Nasher roof

here are scale models of the oculi or sunscreen treatment found on the glass roof of the Nasher Sculpture Center.

The view is what you would see looking up through the oculi from inside the Nasher galleries. The right side is Renzo Piano’s original oculi design.

The left is the recalibrated oculi that eliminates reflected light and a view of surrounding buildings. The visitor experience in the galleries is unchanged by the new design.

 

DALLAS (June 13,2013) A solution to the sunlight reflections between Museum Tower and the Nasher Sculpture Center was presented to the Board of Trustees of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System this morning.  The solution represents the conclusion of a year and a half long study, computer modeling and peer review testing by a world class team of engineers, optical scientists and architects that eliminates reflected sunlight from Museum Tower entering the Nasher Sculpture Center galleries.  This solution restores the visitor experience in the Nasher galleries to comparable pre-Museum Tower conditions.

 Until the exterior of the building went up, Museum Tower developers were not aware that the oculi sunscreen system that covers the Nasher Sculpture Center’s glass roof was pointed directly at Museum Tower property, and that its high performance, energy efficient glass reflected sunlight into the galleries during certain times of the day.  This was an unexpected development and an unintended consequence. 

 Of the more than 20 possible solutions studied by the team of experts, the reconfigured sunscreen system was the only solution found that provides 100 percent remediation of reflected light into the galleries. 

 On April 26, 2013, Museum Tower representatives presented the solution with complete engineering and scientific reports to Nasher Sculpture Center Board of Trustees President David Haemisegger and Trustee Nancy Nasher Haemisegger.  Museum Tower representatives offered to pay for the reconfigured sunscreen system.  The Nasher trustees assured Museum Tower’s representatives that the reports would be reviewed by their own engineering team and that they would respond within seven to ten days. 

 Today, at the request of the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System Trustees, System Administrator Richard Tettamant presented a report on the proposed solution at the Board of Trustees’ regular monthly meeting.  The presentation was the same one that was made to the two Nasher trustees and demonstrates delivery on the Pension System’s good faith promise to find the solution and have Museum Tower, LP pay for testing, fabrication and installation. 

 “We know the newly designed oculi work.  This solution has been peer reviewed by the best experts in the country,” said Dr. Cyrus D. Cantrell, Ph.D., P.E.   “It only requires a slight adjustment to the oculi system of about 45 degrees to completely eliminate unwanted light and any view of the surrounding buildings. This is a beautifully engineered solution.” 

The impact of reflected light on the Nasher’s garden has been carefully observed for over one year and according to Scott Ogden, a nationally known horticulturist and garden designer, “Reflections from Museum Tower have no demonstrable effect on the vegetation in the Nasher garden, there is no damage from sunlight reflected by the Tower, that the garden is doing well and will continue to do so.”

 Science and engineering reports, computer animation, expert interviews and garden study can be found at www.oculisolution.com .

 Museum Tower is a 42-story luxury residential high-rise located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District between the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Meyerson Symphony Center, and adjacent to the thriving center of Downtown Dallas, as well as Uptown and West End. The building offers owners the rare distinction of living among the works of four Pritzker Prize-winning architects. Designed by renowned architect Scott Johnson of Johnson Fain, the contemporary tower offers a collection of 115 residences in nine floor plans, ranging from an intimate 1,800-square-foot pied-à-terre to a sprawling 9,000-square-foot penthouse with 12-foot-high ceilings. The dramatic one-, two- and three-bedroom interiors will feature floor-to-ceiling glass, direct-access elevators, outdoor terraces, and state-of-the-art Miele kitchen appliances. Offering unobstructed views of Dallas and fronting Klyde Warren Park, Museum Tower provides an exceptional array of services and amenities, including a concierge, private gathering and event spaces, outdoor pool, great lawn and outdoor terrace, state-of-the art fitness center and more. Museum Tower opened in January 2013 and is anticipated to become an iconic addition to the Dallas skyline. For more information, please visit (www.museumtowerdallas.com)

Museum Tower Sales Gallery: The Sales Gallery is located in Museum Tower, 1918 Olive Street. For more information or a personal tour, please contact the Sales Gallery at 214-954-1234 or visit www.museumtowerdallas.com.

Museum Tower is owned by the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System which represents more than 9,200 Police Officers, Firefighters, retirees and their families.

 

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Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

4 Comments

  1. […] Read Candy’s full article here.  […]

  2. […] Read Candy’s full article here.  […]

  3. […] Greg Greene, one of the developers of Museum Tower, has told Candace Carlisle at the Dallas Business Journal that “ownership wants to financially step up to fix the tower’s glare inside the galleries at the Nasher Sculpture Center.” But then he added, agreeing on a solution could take more time. And it looks as though that solution is the $5 million we told you last week that MT has offered to … […]

  4. […] Greg Greene, one of the developers of Museum Tower, has told Candace Carlisle at the Dallas Business Journal that “ownership wants to financially step up to fix the tower’s glare inside the galleries at the Nasher Sculpture Center.” But then he added, agreeing on a solution could take more time. And it looks as though that solution is the $5 million we told you last week that MT has offered to … […]

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