The New Museum in New York has announced that its 60,000-square-foot expansion designed by architecture firm OMA will open on 21 March.
Manhattan’s only museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art closed for the project in March 2024.
Designed by OMA's Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with executive architect Cooper Robertson, the new building was created to blend seamlessly with the museum's existing Sanaa-designed flagship building.
When it reopens this spring, the New Museum will provide almost twice the gallery space for exhibitions, as well as an enlarged lobby, an expanded store, and a full-service restaurant.
The institution will also offer new venues for public programmes and special events, a dedicated studio for artists-in-residence, and a purpose-built home for the museum's cultural incubator, New Inc.
The project has improved visitor flow through the addition of three elevators, an atrium stair and an entrance plaza.
New spaces and improved flow
"Since our founding nearly 50 years ago, the New Museum has been a home for the most groundbreaking art of today and a haven for the artists who make it," said Lisa Phillips, director of the New Museum.
"Our new 120,000-square-foot building on the Bowery signals our redoubled commitment to new art and new ideas, and to the museum as an ever-evolving site for risk-taking, collaboration, and experimentation."
The New Museum's inaugural exhibition is titled New Humans: Memories of the Future. The show features works by more than 200 artists, writers, scientists, architects, and filmmakers.
Spanning the entire museum, it explores how technological and societal changes have prompted new ideas about what it means to be human.
In addition to the new spaces, the New Museum is expanding its offerings for families, young people and the local community, including an activity guide and audio tours for children, and free family days.
The New Museum will offer free admission for its opening weekend.
Images courtesy of OMA
