New York, New York, USA
The New Museum in New York has inaugurated a major new chapter with the opening of its OMA-designed expansion, a 60,000-square-foot addition that significantly enhances the institution’s role as a global platform for contemporary art.
Located on the Bowery, the project seamlessly integrates with the museum’s existing SANAA-designed building, doubling gallery space and redefining the visitor experience through spatial openness, transparency, and connectivity.
Designed by OMA partners Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with executive architect Cooper Robertson, the expansion reflects both continuity and transformation.
Rather than competing with the original structure, the new volume establishes a dialogue—maintaining architectural coherence while introducing a distinct identity.
The façade, composed of laminated glass with a metal mesh interlayer, echoes the texture of the existing building but allows for increased transparency, turning the museum into a luminous presence that reveals its internal activity to the city.
Internally, the expansion prioritizes accessibility and flexibility. Three new elevators, an Atrium Stair, and an entrance plaza improve circulation, while a series of interconnected galleries across multiple levels enable curators to present exhibitions with greater scale and fluidity.
New programmatic spaces—including a 74-seat Forum, an expanded Sky Room, artist studios, and a dedicated home for NEW INC, the museum’s cultural incubator—support a broader spectrum of artistic production, education, and public engagement.
The project is the result of a $130 million capital campaign and reflects the museum’s long-standing commitment to experimentation and growth.
Since its founding in 1977, the New Museum has consistently evolved alongside the practices it champions.
This expansion not only accommodates a more ambitious exhibition program but also strengthens its role as a civic and cultural hub within Lower Manhattan.
Marking the opening, the inaugural exhibition New Humans: Memories of the Future unfolds across the entirety of the expanded building.
Bringing together over 200 artists, writers, and thinkers, the exhibition explores evolving definitions of humanity in response to technological and societal change.
Featuring more than fifteen new commissions alongside works by figures such as Salvador Dalí, Hito Steyerl, and Anicka Yi, the exhibition bridges past and present, offering a speculative lens on the future.
Site-specific commissions by artists including Tschabalala Self and Klára Hosnedlová further activate the building, embedding contemporary artistic voices into its architectural fabric.
Beyond exhibitions, the expansion introduces new public-facing amenities, including an enlarged bookstore and a forthcoming restaurant, reinforcing the museum’s role as a social and cultural destination.
Enhanced education and community programs, from family days to youth workshops, signal a renewed commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
In its synthesis of architecture, program, and urban presence, the New Museum’s expansion stands as both an infrastructural and conceptual evolution—one that amplifies its mission to incubate new ideas while remaining deeply embedded in the cultural life of New York City.
About OMA
OMA is an international architecture and urbanism practice known for its forward-thinking and often experimental approach to design.
Led in New York by Shohei Shigematsu, the office has realized a wide range of cultural projects, including museum expansions, exhibition designs, and adaptive reuse interventions.
With a portfolio that spans institutions such as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and the Faena Forum in Miami, OMA consistently explores the intersection of architecture, culture, and public life, bringing innovative spatial strategies to complex urban and institutional contexts.
