Following an almost two-year closure due to expansion efforts, the New Museum in New York City is set to reopen to the public on March 21. The museum, located in Manhattan, initially closed in March 2024 to add a 60,000-square-foot extension on Bowery. This development effectively doubles its exhibition area to 20,000 square feet.
Conceived by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu alongside Cooper Robertson, the new addition features a laminated glass and metal mesh facade that harmonizes with, yet doesn’t overshadow, the SANAA-designed main building. Although the new seven-story structure is shorter than the original at 235 Bowery, it significantly expands the museum’s footprint.
The expansion has been in the works since 2008 when museum officials acquired the adjacent plot at 231 Bowery. Over the following eight years, they secured $43 million in funding and commissioned architects to develop the design. Public reaction to the renderings released in 2019 was mixed, with one anonymous critic describing them as “abominable and soulless” on the East Village news site EV Grieve. The designs continued to spark debate when shared on the museum’s Instagram in 2024.
Lisa Phillips, Director of the New Museum, expressed that the expansion underscores the institution’s dedication to “risk-taking, collaboration, and experimentation.” Visitors will be able to assess the changes firsthand, with free admission offered on March 21 and 22. The inaugural exhibit, New Humans: Memories of the Future, will feature contributions from over 200 artists, writers, and thinkers, examining how technology influences human identity.
The new wing includes three floors of exhibition space, a floor dedicated to NEW INC, the museum’s cultural incubator, and additional amenities such as a 74-seat forum and a sky room. The development also offers improved accessibility with three elevators, an atrium stairway, and a new lobby and bookstore. Although the reopening was initially planned for last fall, it was postponed. According to a spokeswoman from Corgan, the firm that merged with Cooper Robertson, the NYC Department of Buildings required further details for the building plan, a routine part of the process. Sarah Morris, a museum spokesperson, expressed anticipation for the reopening.
