The Glass Godzilla in the City

The Museum Tower in Dallas, a giant glass condominium, rears its ugly head as it reflects glaring light onto the site it was named after.

1 minute read

June 26, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By Emily Williams


Following recent news from The New York Times and Dallas News, Rob Walker writes on the uproar being caused by the Museum Tower condos located across the street from the Nasher Sculpture Center designed by famed architect Renzo Piano, which is reflecting sunlight directly onto the museum and sculpture gardens, "threatening artworks in the galleries, burning the plants in the center's garden and blinding visitors with its glare." Located in the newly rebranded "Dallas Arts District", the development was built to attract a wealthy upper-class with its units ranging from $1 million to $5.4 million. The now infamous Tower was "constructed with no ill intent, but transformed by its design flaws into a civic menace."

Walker waxes poetic, comparing the Towers to a colossal monster like Godzilla ravaging an entire city, which seem to echo Piano's sentiments about the ongoing dispute. Walker states, "Piano refers to the light now threatening the museum as "radiation." And he warns that the condo will "kill the very thing [its owners] named the building after."

The most recent update on the ongoing dispute between Piano and the villainous Tower pegs Piano as "emotional" as he attempts to come to some sort of agreement. With the integrity of the museum's artwork under daily threat, one can only wonder if and when the villain in question will back down.

Monday, June 25, 2012 in The Design Observer Group

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A group of officials stand in a patch of dirt holding golden shovels and white hardhats.

California city breaks ground on transit connector

The project includes three mobility hubs and a pedestrian bridge.

4 hours ago - Mass Transit

People walking by a brick school in Cambridge.

After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker

Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.

5 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

A rendering of the park, with green grass and a bass sculpture that looks like several tall arches in a row.

40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park

The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.

6 hours ago - Block Club Chicago