Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University

The design of the main entry stair, plaza and water feature for the Meadows Museum on the Southern Methodist University campus enhances the museum visitor’s experience by adding a subtle element of flowing water to a reinterpretation of traditional stair.

The design of the stair and entry plaza is conceived to connect the streetscape of Bishop Boulevard with the parking garage’s rooftop terrace and the main entrance of the museum. Water flows down the center of the top flight of the stair, adding subtle sound and sparkle, and disappears at the landing. The water re-emerges at the bottom of the stair, flowing through a trough and sheeting into a basin facing Bishop Boulevard.

The entry plaza and rooftop terrace also serves as a setting for other important pieces of sculpture, including a monumental modern work by Jaume Plensa titled Sho, a mesh sculpture that depicts the head of a young girl. The terrace features lawn panels, gravel paths and opportunities for changing installation of sculpture. A dramatic view of The Wave is provided by this new entry feature.