Houses Gardens People

Photo by Charles Davis Smith

COCKTAIL HOUR . . . The Dallas Architecture Forum's 365 Modern Living Cocktail Receptions launches on April 30 with a spectacular private gallery/guest house.

Located on four acres on the back grounds of a home owned by a leading Dallas philanthropic couple, its posh pedigree is not just about the multi-million dollars worth of art inside, but the world-class team that worked on it. And it was a dream team for sure: architect Bill Booziotis and Company, interior designer Andree Putman and landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh.

The owners—whose contemporary art collection had grown so much that they needed to build something appropriate to house it—envisioned a modern version of the Frick Collection or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, both former private homes turned into intimate museums. Here is some of what you'll see when you go to the reception: an undulating brick wall created for the site by Sol LeWitt; a 70 ft. wide x 21 ft. high gallery intersected by rooms, including the living room with its 26 ft. high ceiling.

Attendance for the series of three receptions is limited. Tickets are $150-$175 for the series or $75 per evening. You can purchase your tickets online at the Forum's site, here. Dates for the other receptions are May 15 and June 12—stay posted, as I'll be showing images from those homes soon.