Menil Drawing Institute Opens in Houston with Jasper Johns Exhibition

The Menil Drawing Institute, designed by Johnston Marklee, has opened in Houston, Texas. The 1,500-square-meter building, part of the Menil Collection campus, features a linear form with a white steel roof and gradual light reduction for paper conservation. The inaugural exhibition, 'The Condition of Being Here: Drawings by Jasper Johns,' runs until January 27 and includes 41 works from 1954 to 2016. Rebecca Rabinow, director of the Menil Collection, stated the institute makes drawing accessible to artists, scholars, students, and the public. The building is situated between the Main Building, Cy Twombly Gallery, and Dan Flavin Installation. Landscape architecture by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates integrates courtyards and a cloister. The masterplan, initiated in 2009 by David Chipperfield Architects, also includes an Energy House by Johnston Marklee and Bistro Menil by Stern and Bucek Architects.