Dallas Museum of Art Selects Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos’ Team with Local Architect of Record PGAL for the "Reimagining the Dallas Museum of Art" International Design Competition

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) announced Madrid-based Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos (NSA) won the Reimagining the Dallas Museum of Art International Design Competition, teamed with PGAL, the local Architect of Record (AOR). The winning scheme was selected after a six-month international competition, which garnered 154 submissions from firms around the world.

At the first stage of the international design competition, managed by Malcolm Reading, team composition, relevant experience, company details, and an initial project reaction were evaluated by the DMA’s Architectural Selection Committee (ASC), resulting in a shortlist of six competitors. The NSA-led design team was established from the very beginning of the competition with Atelier Culbert (Exhibition Design); SWA Group (Landscape Architect); Arup (MEP, Lighting, and Sustainability Engineer); Bollinger+Grohmann (Structural and Façade Engineer); and PGAL (Local Architect of Record).

At the second stage of the competition, the NSA team, in close collaboration, prepared concept designs, technical proposal, physical model, video presentation, and commercial proposal. The finalists presented to the Museum’s Architect Selection Committee, who interviewed each team and recommended a winner to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

The Museum’s Board of Trustees met in August 2023 to ratify the ASC’s recommendation, concluding the six-month international competition process with the announcement of the Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos’ team as the winners. “We are honored and delighted to win. This is a thrilling experience for us. We’ve loved learning about the building, the Museum’s collection and Dallas itself,” states NSA’s founding partners Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano.

DMA’s vision and inspiration for the competition was sparked by the desire to embrace and serve the diverse Dallas community and create a gathering place where “people of all cultures feel welcomed”.

NSA’s winning scheme’s design intent, respects the existing 1984 Edward Larrabee Barnes-designed building.  “We want to respect the original building, keeping as much as we can is integral to a holistic sustainable approach, but we also want to transform it radically. We think of it as a Museum in a garden and there may be an opportunity here to explore whether the landscape and iconic sculpture garden can become part of the wider city park system,” Nieto and Sobejano.

PGAL Dallas/Fort Worth, led by Principal Tim Konganda, AIA, is NSA’s local architecture partner. “As long-time local architects with a deep understanding of Dallas’ unique context, we are committed to bringing this transformative vision to life, working closely with the community and our partners, to create an inviting and accessible cultural space to inspire patrons of all ages,” said Konganda.

With an established office in the DFW Metroplex since the 1980s, PGAL is currently housed in the Greenhill Tower in Addison (designed by PGAL) and is well-known throughout the Metroplex for the firm’s work on innovative, high-profile civic, cultural, educational, and aviation projects. PGAL’s portfolio of museum work also includes the addition to the Holocaust Museum Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land. PGAL is consistently ranked in the Dallas Business Journal’s Top 25 Architects as well as numerous national rankings.

“What a great opportunity to transform the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Arts District,” states Konganda. “We are absolutely thrilled and honored to be part of this highly collaborative team to revitalize one of the leading museums in the nation.”

For more information on the competition process, shortlisted teams, and the winning scheme, click here.