After 16 years in operation, it was time for the Asia Society Texas Center to have its own home. After a lengthy process to secure the necessary property, renowned Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi was chosen to design the new building. Construction began in January 2010, and the new home for the Asia Society Texas Center — extensively featuring Jura limestone quarried by VM Kaldorf GmbH of Germany throughout its exterior and interior design — opened its doors to the public in April 2012.
Although Asia Society Texas Center began its search for the perfect property in the mid-1990s, it was not until 2003 that the Texas Center purchased a 2.3-acre building site in a Houston, TX, neighborhood where the Museum District is located. The following year, the block-sized property across the street was purchased for parking.