The New Museum in NYC Scheduled to Reopen in March

The New Museum in New York City is set to reopen its doors on March 21 after a significant expansion project. The museum, located in Manhattan, closed in March 2024 to commence a 60,000-square-foot expansion that effectively doubles its exhibition space to 20,000 square feet. The new annex, designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu with Cooper Robertson, features a modern design that seamlessly integrates with the existing SANAA-designed building.

The expansion has been a long-standing goal for the museum, having purchased the adjacent lot in 2008 and raised $43 million over the years to bring the project to life. Although initial public reactions to the renderings released in 2019 were mixed, with some criticism on social media in 2024, museum officials remain optimistic about the project. Lisa Phillips, the Director of the New Museum, stated that the expansion is a testament to the institution’s commitment to “risk-taking, collaboration, and experimentation.”

The newly expanded museum offers more than just enlarged exhibition spaces; it includes areas for NEW INC, the museum’s cultural incubator, a dedicated artist-in-residence studio, and various amenities like a 74-seat forum and a sky room. Visitors can navigate the space via three elevators, an atrium stairway, and a new entrance plaza designed to improve visitor flow.

To celebrate its reopening, the museum will provide free admission on March 21 and 22, featuring an inaugural exhibition titled “New Humans: Memories of the Future.” This exhibition will display work from over 200 contributors, examining the impact of technology on human existence.

Though the reopening was delayed, the expansion is now complete, and the museum is ready to welcome the public to explore the new and enhanced spaces.