Houston, Renzo Piano's First Museum

At a Glance

The Menil Collection in Houston's Montrose neighbourhood opened 1987. Built on the 17,000-piece collection of John and Dominique de Menil, the main building was Renzo Piano's first museum — the project he credits with shaping his career. Admission is free.

Architecture for Natural Light

Dominique de Menil asked Piano to light the galleries only by daylight. He invented the "leaves" ceiling — 300 curved ferrocement panels that filter Houston's sun into stable indoor light. The district now includes Rothko Chapel, the Cy Twombly Gallery and the Menil Drawing Institute.

Must-See

• Major Surrealism collection — Magritte, Ernst, Man Ray.
• Byzantine icons.
• African, Pacific and Native American art.
• Rothko Chapel (14 black canvases).
• Cy Twombly Gallery selected by the artist himself.

Visiting Tips

Wed–Sun 11:00–19:00; closed Mon–Tue. Free. 2 hours for main building, half-day for the whole district. Pair with CAMH and MFA Houston.