Fueling the passionate
flames of desire to build
Asia Society Texas Center

Nancy Allen has given new meaning to the word “cheerleader.” When it came down to moving ahead with the vision to build Houston’s brand new and gleaming Asia Society Texas Center headquarters, the mother and grandmother didn’t simply cheer from the sidelines since getting involved 10 years ago.

Instead, she boldly stepped out onto an international playing field of construction contracts, requests for proposals (RFP), committee meetings and grand-scale fundraising efforts for Houston’s latest 21st century world-class community center. To top off that effort, her drive and passion would attract renowned Japanese Architect Yoshiro Taniguchi to design the $48.4 million Center. And, over the course of its planning and construction, Allen herself would donate more than $15 million for the new facility.

“I have never given up. I have been like the pied piper, I am the cheerleader and here we are today in this 40,000 square foot building designed by the world famous Yoshiro Taniguchi,” says Allen as she looks out from the Center’s Water Garden Terrace, a lounge overlooking the placid “Infinity Pool” built on a second floor terrace. “Miracles do happen and this is a miracle.”