New York’s Frick Collection has a reopening date. The institution on Fifth Avenue will welcome visitors again from 17 April following a major renovation of its historic home.
The project by Selldorf Architects, with executive architect Beyer Blinder Belle, involved restoring galleries on the museum’s first floor and opening up the Frick mansion’s second floor to the public for the first time.
The renovation has significantly expanded exhibition and programme spaces. It also includes new special galleries on the museum’s first floor, the Frick’s first dedicated education rooms, and a 220-seat auditorium.
“We are excited to welcome visitors to experience a revitalized Frick Collection and to enjoy all that makes the Frick such a unique institution within the cultural landscape of New York City,” said Ian Wardropper, the Frick’s director.
“Intimate encounters with iconic works of art remain a cornerstone of the Frick experience. Visitors will now be able to experience even more of our collection and programs thanks to the many architects, preservation experts, curators, artisans, and innumerable museum and library staff who have collaborated to restore the original mansion while also creating new galleries, program spaces, and public amenities.”
The Frick Collection’s renovation and enhancement project was the first comprehensive upgrade of its facilities in nearly 90 years, and allows the public to experience more of the original Frick residence.
The $330 million initiative has repurposed 60,000 square feet of existing space in the museum and added 27,000 square feet of new construction.
“We have worked carefully to develop an architectural vocabulary for the project that is continuous with the existing historic fabric yet employs distinct but appropriate contemporary detailing in the façades and interiors,” said Annabelle Selldorf, principal of Selldorf Architects.
New and improved spaces in the Frick
“I believe that this careful blending of old and new will make people feel even more welcome as they return to, or discover for the first time, the Frick, its collection, and its beautiful setting.”
Visitors to the renovated Frick will get to view reinstalled masterpieces in restored galleries on the first floor, and smaller paintings, sculptures and decorated objects on the new second floor.
Elizabeth M. Eveillard, chair of the Frick’s board of trustees, said: “The Frick’s reopening is an invitation to all New Yorkers and art lovers from around the world to discover – or rediscover – incredible works of art from our permanent collection, displayed in the painstakingly restored setting of our historic home.”
Images courtesy of the Frick
