Nasher Sculpture Center — Dallas's Roofless Museum

The Nasher Sculpture Center, located at 2001 Flora St in the Dallas Arts District, opened in October 2003. It showcases approximately 300 modern and contemporary sculptures collected by Raymond and Patsy Nasher. Renzo Piano's five glass pavilions and Peter Walker's 1.4-acre sculpture garden create a unique "roofless museum" experience.

Situated in a vibrant cultural hub near the Dallas Museum of Art, the center is a 5-minute walk from the DART St. Paul station.

Collection and Architecture

The Nashers began collecting in the 1950s, displaying works at their NorthPark Center mall. In the late 1990s, they established this museum in Dallas to house their significant 20th and 21st-century collection.

Piano's design integrates glass pavilions with the garden, minimizing indoor/outdoor boundaries. An aluminum oculi roof filters Texas sunlight, providing soft, diffused light. Walker's landscape design features varied topography, allowing sculptures to interact with natural elements and reinforcing the open-air concept.

Key Works

• Auguste Rodin's Eve (1881): A prominent early bronze cast at the garden entrance.
• Alberto Giacometti's Walking Man and Dog: Multiple casts placed indoors and outdoors.
• Henry Moore's Reclining Figure series: Over five works offering chronological insight into his evolution.
• Large-scale installations by Isamu Noguchi, Joan Miró, Mark di Suvero, Robert Smithson, and Richard Serra.
• James Turrell Skyspace "Tending, (Blue)": An immersive light installation, best at sunset (free reservation).

Nasher Prize and Visiting

Since 2011, the Nasher Foundation has awarded the $100,000 Nasher Prize, known as the "Pritzker Prize of sculpture," to influential living artists. The museum hosts laureate exhibitions and public art installations in Dallas.

Open Wednesday-Sunday, 11 AM-5 PM (closed Mon-Tue). Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students, and free on the first Saturday of each month. A visit typically lasts 1.5-2 hours. Special events include a '360 Speakers Series' and summer jazz concerts.