The New Museum in lower Manhattan is approaching the completion of its ambitious 60,000-square-foot expansion, which is scheduled to open to the public in early 2026. The groundbreaking project, which began construction in November 2022, represents a transformative moment for the renowned contemporary art institution that has been shaping cultural aesthetics and contemporary art status since its founding in 1977.
The expansion is being led by OMA architects Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Cooper Robertson. The centerpiece of the project is a striking new seven-story building that features a distinctive facade with sloping, angular forms and geometric windows that wrap around its edges. While the exterior maintains a visually distinct appearance, the interior has been carefully designed to seamlessly integrate with the museum's existing spaces, with aligned ceiling heights on the second, third, and fourth floors ensuring uninterrupted connectivity between both buildings.
The new structure will effectively double the New Museum's gallery space while significantly improving visitor circulation through a dramatic atrium stairway that offers views of the surrounding neighborhood. Beyond simply increasing the museum's footprint, the expansion introduces stunning new environments for art engagement, including an enlarged lobby that will house a bigger bookstore and a full-service restaurant. Adjacent to the entrance, a plaza will serve as an open-air venue for public art installations, strategically positioned along Bowery and Prince Street.
A highlight of the expansion is the seventh-floor Sky Room, which will double in size while maintaining its panoramic views of downtown Manhattan. The building also features three additional upper-floor terraces, providing visitors with multiple opportunities to experience and appreciate the vibrant neighborhood that the New Museum calls home. These outdoor spaces will offer unique vantage points and environments for both art appreciation and community engagement.
"The New Museum has always been a future-facing museum—not a place for preserving and recording history, but a place where history is made," remarked Lisa Phillips, the Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum. Shigematsu, one of the OMA architects leading the project, echoed this sentiment, stating, "The New Museum is an incubator for new cultural perspectives and production, and the expansion aims to embody that attitude of openness."
The expansion's inaugural exhibition, titled "New Humans: Memories of the Future," perfectly embodies this forward-thinking philosophy. The comprehensive show features artwork by more than 150 international artists, writers, scientists, architects, and filmmakers, exploring how technological advancements have impacted not only art production but humanity and society as a whole. The exhibition creates compelling dialogues between innovative contemporary artists like Wangechi Mutu, Tau Lewis, and Philippe Parreno alongside modernist masters such as Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon, Hannah Höch, and El Lissitzky, creating a fascinating throughline that traces the intersection of optimism, technology, and futurism.
"New Humans is an encyclopedic, interdisciplinary exhibition that continues the New Museum's engagement with the most pressing issues of today," explained Massimiliano Gioni, the museum's Edlis Neeson Artistic Director. "As the museum enters an expansive new chapter in its own history, [the exhibition] highlights the role artists play in interpreting and confronting the critical issues that will shape our collective fate."
The museum originally closed for renovation and construction in March 2024 to accommodate the massive undertaking. The expansion represents more than just additional space—it creates new venues for artist residencies, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives that align with the museum's mission as a cultural incubator. Visitors can stay updated on the opening timeline and plan their visits by checking the New Museum's official website as the early 2026 opening date approaches.
