New Museum has completed a major 60,000-square-foot expansion on the Bowery, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s evolution as a platform for contemporary art. Designed by OMA, led by Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, the project expands the museum’s physical and conceptual capacity. Moreover, the addition reinforces its long-standing mission to support living artists and experimental practices.
Expanding a contemporary art institution
Founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, the New Museum remains Manhattan’s only institution dedicated exclusively to contemporary art and living artists. This seven-story addition serves as a “cultural laboratory,” providing much-needed space for the museum’s rapidly growing exhibition programs, educational initiatives, and its renowned incubator, NEW INC.
As a result, the expansion effectively doubles the museum’s exhibition footprint, enabling more ambitious and large-scale presentations. In addition, it introduces new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, aligning with broader institutional shifts toward hybrid cultural programming.
Architecture balances continuity and innovation
The architectural strategy carefully responds to the adjacent 2007 building by SANAA, maintaining visual continuity while establishing a distinct identity. Clad in laminated glass with a metal mesh interlayer, the new volume presents a unified exterior that echoes the original structure’s material language. However, it simultaneously introduces greater transparency and openness.
Shohei Shigematsu, Partner-in-Charge at OMA, notes: “The New Museum is an incubator for new cultural perspectives and production, and the expansion aims to embody that attitude of openness. Imagined as a highly connected yet distinct counterpart to the existing museum’s verticality and solidity, the new building will offer horizontally expansive galleries for curatorial variety, open vertical circulation, and a diversity of spaces for gathering, exchange, and creation. The building is further shaped to create an active public face – including an outdoor plaza at the ground, moments of transparency throughout the central atrium, and terraced openings at the top – that will openly engage the surrounding community and beyond.”
Internally, the addition introduces three new gallery floors that align with the existing भवन to create a seamless horizontal flow. Consequently, curators can stage either large unified exhibitions or multiple concurrent presentations across interconnected spaces. Furthermore, a new atrium stair and dedicated elevators enhance vertical circulation while offering framed views of the surrounding neighborhood and Prince Street.
Public engagement and future-facing design
Beyond exhibition space, the expansion integrates a range of public and programmatic features. These include a dedicated home for NEW INC, artist studios, a full-service restaurant, and an enlarged lobby and bookstore. Therefore, the building functions not only as a gallery but also as a multidisciplinary cultural hub.
At the upper levels, the design emphasizes sustainability and flexibility. A photovoltaic roof contributes renewable energy, while three terraces provide panoramic views of lower Manhattan. Meanwhile, these spaces support workshops, performances, and residencies addressing urgent social and political themes.
Reflecting on the project, Jake Forster states: “The new building aims to support, complement, and diversify the existing museum to establish a campus. We have enjoyed engineering a variety of spaces, structures and materials to create new opportunities and engagements. It has relied on the passion and expertise of a diverse group of designers, engineers, and makers to get to this milestone. I’m excited to see our collective effort come to life as it welcomes the public in.”
Ultimately, the expansion positions the New Museum as a more dynamic and accessible institution. By combining architectural innovation with expanded programming, it sets a new benchmark for how museums can evolve to meet the demands of contemporary cultural production.