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Nasher Museum Built by “Star Architect” Rafael Viñoly, 1944-2023

After interviewing many top architects, Duke awarded the Nasher Museum commission to Uruguayan-born Rafael Viñoly. When it opened in October 2005, the Nasher Museum was Viñoly’s first completed art museum project in North ...

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The Mary D.B.T. Semans Great Hall with a view of the Nasher Museum's glass-and-steel roof. Photo © Brad Feinknopf 2005.

Architecture

The 65,000-square-foot Nasher Museum was designed by architect Rafael Viñoly and built in 2005. The centerpiece of Viñoly’s modernist design is a dramatic 13,000-square-foot glass-and-steel roof rising to a height of 45 feet above the great hall.

Five concrete pavilions fan out from a central courtyard to house three large gallery spaces, auditorium, two classrooms, shop and café. The museum presents a dynamic schedule of programs, including free Family Days, performing arts events, lectures, film series and social gatherings.

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