Up next | June 9: University of St. Thomas/Menil campus (please note 6 p.m. start time)
 On Sunday evening, June 9, the Architecture Walks Program will visit two of Houston's most notable modern spaces: the University of St. Thomas campus and the buildings of the Menil Collection nearby.
The University of St. Thomas broke with tradition when it hired Philip Johnson to design its new campus in 1956. And though Johnson took inspiration for his buildings at UST from the modern architecture of Mies van der Rohe, his campus plan was influenced by something much older: Thomas Jefferson’s 1818 design for the University of Virginia. Our tour focuses on the development of the university’s campus and the buildings of the adjacent Menil campus, which include Eugene Aubry’s Rothko Chapel and Renzo Piano’s Menil Collection and Twombly Gallery. We’ll also visit Hughes House, the boyhood home of Howard Hughes Jr., and Johnson’s Chapel of St. Basil at the University of St. Thomas, one of the most unique worship spaces in Houston.
Tickets will be sold beginning at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, June 9, outside the Link-Lee Mansion, 3800 Montrose Boulevard at West Alabama. The last tour group will depart shortly after 6 p.m. Tickets are $7 for Preservation Houston members and students and $10 for the general public. Children 11 and under are admitted free. Anyone who walks, rides a bike or takes public transportation to the tour will receive a $2 discount. Preservation Houston accepts cash, checks and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover).
Please note that restrooms are not available on the tour route.
If inclement weather threatens on the day of the tour, watch this page for up-to-the-minute updates of any tour changes. You can also follow Preservation Houston on Twitter to receive tour updates.
Photo: University of St. Thomas Academic Mall and Chapel of St. Basil (1958, 1997, Philip Johnson). Photo by Jim Parsons.
The Architecture Walks Program is supported in part by a grant from the Susan Vaughan Foundation. |
