October 12, 2021
Built as the Texas Pavilion for the 1968 World’s Fair, known as the HemisFair, the Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) was not designed or constructed to be a museum or to support its current educational uses. In addition, the ITC is not financially self-sustaining, leading to deferred maintenance of the building and museum displays that do not meet current industry standards; many collections have not been rotated or replaced in decades.
The University of Texas at San Antonio sought a virtual ULI Advisory Services panel to provide recommendations for future planning scenarios for the ITC.
Photo By ULI
The panel was led by chair Jeanne Myerson, principal at The Belgrave Group, San Francisco, California and included panelists Martha Clifford, associate, Office of Cheryl Barton, San Francisco, California; David Greenbaum, FAIA, vice president, Smith Group, Washington, D.C.; Wellington “Duke” Reiter, FAIA, senior advisor to the president, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; Todd Mead, principal, Office of Cheryl Barton, San Francisco, California; Christine Richman, principal, GSBS Architects, Salt Lake City, Utah; Monte Ritchey, president, Conformity Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina; Marsha Semmel, principal, Marsha Semmel Consulting, Arlington, Virginia; and Michael Stevens, president, Capitol Riverfront BID, Washington, D.C. ULI staff Jacqueline Canales and Georgia Gempler supported the panel.
Date: June 1-4, 2021
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Sponsor: University of Texas at San Antonio
Subject Area: University Planning
Panel Chair: Jeanne Myerson, The Belgrave Group, San Francisco, CA
To celebrate the ITC’s mission and UTSA’s commitment to ensuring the ITC’s success in the next 50 years, UTSA is undertaking a community-based process to develop a vision for the ITC centennial in 2068. Through this inclusive and community-driven process, task forces will focus on creating a museum of the future, cultivating community engagement and sustaining support, and creating leadership in facility and land stewardship.
UTSA engaged a ULI Advisory Services panel to explore key themes to inform the community stakeholder visioning process for the ITC. This Advisory Services panel met virtually from June 1 to 4, 2021, then presented its recommendations to the panel sponsor. After the panel’s weeklong meeting, its recommendations were consolidated into a report, published by ULI in fall 2021. Panelists were asked to address questions in relation to the future of the ITC, the facility, and the property.
Summary of Recommendations