University Of Texas Dallas - Arts and Performance Center (UTD APC)

The University of Texas at Dallas is developing a new cultural district on its campus. The first phase has now been completed with the opening of the Crow Museum of Asian Art - the first building within the Edith and Peter O'Donnell Jr. Athenaeum.  
 
Morphosis’s design, developed in close collaboration with UT Dallas, reflects the university's vision for an interdisciplinary district that fosters dialogue between the arts and other academic fields. The architecture consists of sculpted volumes shaped from a single mass, following the natural flow of the campus’s circulation routes. Transparency plays a key role, with expansive glazing connecting interior galleries and public areas to the campus and surrounding plaza. 
 
For the exterior lighting, OVI conceived a discreet, integrated, and harmonious system in line with the building’s architectural language. Fixtures with that are offered for both indoor and outdoor application, such as Palco projectors, were selected. To light the textured exterior surfaces, Palco projectors were mounted on a minimal number of poles, strategically placed at the building’s corners. This created a grazing effect that highlights the roof’s materiality through light and shadow, while maintaining the integrity of the landscape. This approach also complies with Dark Sky Association guidelines to minimize light pollution. 
 
On the opposite side of the building, which is clad in metal mesh, Linealuce Mini 47 luminaires were discreetly installed within the mesh to provide upward wall grazing light, aligning with Morphosis’s preference for modulating light rather than emphasizing brightness. 
To further enhance the impression of a floating structure, Laser Blade InOut fixtures with upward light emission were integrated into architectural pockets at the base of the angled columns that support the cantilevered volumes.  
Lighting also helps guide circulation through the complex architectural layout. Particular attention was paid to entrance areas, with carefully studied optics and placement of Palco projectors to avoid flattening the architecture. The client specifically requested lighting that created distinct atmospheres without extreme contrasts between dim and brightly lit areas. 
 
The first building completed in the Athenaeum was designed to house the Crow Museum of Asian Art and other important collections. The exhibition spaces are located above a ground floor that includes seminar and study rooms, an atrium, and a reading room - all visually connected to the campus through large windows. Palco projectors are used in these public areas, supporting a seamless transition between exterior and interior lighting.  
While the building appears as a simple cube from the outside, its interior is composed of curved forms, double-height spaces, and generous glazing. The Superrail system combined with Robin projectors delivers visual continuity across various mounting conditions, whether recessed in coves, integrated into skylights, or suspended.  

For skylight installations, an integrated solution was developed to match the aesthetic of the Superrail system and eliminate the need for remote drivers. The drivers were housed internally, helping to preserve clean ceiling lines and avoid visual clutter - an essential objective for OVI. 
This Superrail and Robin system continues into the upper-level exhibition spaces, where projectors with a variety of optics - spot, super spot, medium, flood, wide flood, and framers - were chosen to allow for maximum curatorial flexibility. 
In these spaces, the suspended Superrail also functions as emergency lighting. Its upward emission is typically off but activates when required, providing a clean and minimal solution using the same lighting infrastructure without adding visual noise. Additionally, Superrail’s modularity allows it to follow the complex architectural geometry, supporting both curved and broken lines in the design.