In 2006, the idea of an expansion surfaced once again at a dinner in Fort Worth attended by Timothy Potts, the museum's director at the time (Eric M. Lee has been the director since March 2009); Kay Fortson, president of the Kimbell Art Foundation and a key figure in the creation of the original building; Ben Fortson, a trustee; and Sue Ann Kahn, Louis Kahn's daughter and a vocal opponent of the original plan for expansion.
 The new proposal was exactly in line with Louis Kahn's own thoughts for expansion: a separate building.
At that time, the new structure was to be sited on land to the back of the Kahn building.

In April 2007, the museum announced that Renzo Piano had been chosen to design the new building.
 Piano was an obvious choice because he had worked in Louis Kahn's office as a young man and had later established a reputation as one of the world's leading museum architects.
 Piano had been particularly active in Texas, designing the Menil Collection in Houston, a commission in Louis Kahn's studio at the time of Kahn's death, and the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.
 He also designed the expansion for the Art Institute of Chicago and was co-designer of the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

 
The schematic designs for the new Kimbell building were made public in November 2008, and the plans were released in May 2010.
 The 85,000 square foot (7,900 m²) structure would complement the original building but not mimic it.
 Unlike the original, its lines would be rectilinear, not curvilinear.
 Like the original, however, it would have three bays with the middle bay stepped back from the other two.
The new building expansion, named the Renzo Piano Pavilion, was officially inaugurated to the public on November 27, 2013.

The new building should also resolve a parking issue at the museum.
 Kahn was deeply troubled by the negative impact of the automobile on city life; he once spoke of "the destruction of the city by the motor car."
Fundamentally opposed to the idea of orienting buildings to the automobile, Kahn placed the main parking lot in the back of the building, intending for visitors to walk around the building and enter through carefully planned landscaping.
 Most visitors, however, entered through the back door on the ground floor, missing the entry experience that Kahn had designed.
 The new building will solve the problem with an underground parking garage.
 After visitors ascend to the gallery level of the new building, they can exit it and walk across the lawn and the courtyard to enter the original building as Kahn had intended.
In 2006, the idea of an expansion surfaced once again at a dinner in Fort Worth attended by Timothy Potts, the museum's director at the time (Eric M. Lee has been the director since March 2009); Kay Fortson, president of the Kimbell Art Foundation and a key figure in the creation of the original building; Ben Fortson, a trustee; and Sue Ann Kahn, Louis Kahn's daughter and a vocal opponent of the original plan for expansion.  The new proposal was exactly in line with Louis Kahn's own thoughts for expansion: a separate building. At that time, the new structure was to be sited on land to the back of the Kahn building.
In April 2007, the museum announced that Renzo Piano had been chosen to design the new building.  Piano was an obvious choice because he had worked in Louis Kahn's office as a young man and had later established a reputation as one of the world's leading museum architects.  Piano had been particularly active in Texas, designing the Menil Collection in Houston, a commission in Louis Kahn's studio at the time of Kahn's death, and the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.  He also designed the expansion for the Art Institute of Chicago and was co-designer of the Pompidou Centre in Paris.
 
The schematic designs for the new Kimbell building were made public in November 2008, and the plans were released in May 2010.  The 85,000 square foot (7,900 m²) structure would complement the original building but not mimic it.  Unlike the original, its lines would be rectilinear, not curvilinear.  Like the original, however, it would have three bays with the middle bay stepped back from the other two. The new building expansion, named the Renzo Piano Pavilion, was officially inaugurated to the public on November 27, 2013.
The new building should also resolve a parking issue at the museum.  Kahn was deeply troubled by the negative impact of the automobile on city life; he once spoke of "the destruction of the city by the motor car." Fundamentally opposed to the idea of orienting buildings to the automobile, Kahn placed the main parking lot in the back of the building, intending for visitors to walk around the building and enter through carefully planned landscaping.  Most visitors, however, entered through the back door on the ground floor, missing the entry experience that Kahn had designed.  The new building will solve the problem with an underground parking garage.  After visitors ascend to the gallery level of the new building, they can exit it and walk across the lawn and the courtyard to enter the original building as Kahn had intended.
Kimbell Art Museum