Heading: Jason O’Rear
The New Museum, originally designed by the legendary Japanese company SANAA, has expanded into a new building. Located next to the old building at 235 Bowery Street, the addition features amenities for the institution’s expanded activities while also reflecting on its engagement with the public. New museum features education programs and cultural incubator (NEW INC) alongside its world-famous exhibition program. The expansion opened to the public on March 21, 2026, with an exhibition New Humans: Memories of the Future.
The relationship between the old museum building and the new addition
The designers from OMA had to duplicate the square footage on the site adjacent to the current New Museum, which raised a range of questions. For instance, whether to focus on creating two equal structures, existing in complete harmony, or to focus on each building’s individuality and uniqueness. OMA decided to connect the two buildings in an overlapping, almost romantic way. While respecting the integrity of the SANAA-designed structure, the expansion possesses its own distinct identity. In this way, both new and old parts of the museum work together to host an extended repertoire and expanded curatorial ambitions of its staff.
The new building follows the structure of the existing one. Three floors are filled with gallery space, a new incubator called NEW INC, offices, and event and education venues. Connected galleries’ ceilings align on each floor, which results in expanded space for shows and an easy horizontal flow between the two buildings. And while the galleries can be used singularly across the floorplate to host larger exhibitions, they can also serve as separate spaces for smaller shows depending on the needs of the institution and the vision of the curator.
Public plaza at Prince Street
The galleries are expanded horizontally, and two setbacks are introduced. A new public plaza at the terminus of Prince Street is defined by an angled setback that begins at the top of the gallery stack. This new public space is simultaneously a focal point for public engagement and a buffer zone between two buildings. Another setback is located above the galleries. This solution opens the upper terraces to the sky, visually making the building seem to vanish into thin air. The monolithic appearance is achieved by cladding the building in laminated glass with a layer of metal mesh.
The New Museum’s old and new buildings are juxtaposed in constant dialogue. Although featuring two distinct personalities, both buildings serve the same purpose: to encourage interaction between art, artists, and people and support the museum’s constant growth in visitors, exhibitions, and programs.
Technical Sheet
Location: New York, USA
Client: NEW Museum
Architects: Jackie Woon Bae, Ninoslav Krgovic, Francesco Rosati, Kaegan Walsh, Jan Casimir, Carly Dean, Tamara Jamil, Clement Mathieu, Richard Nelson-Chow, Vincent Parlatore
Executive Architect: Cooper Robertson
Project and Cost Management: Gardner and Theobald, PML
Pre-Design Services: F. J. Sciame Construction, Co., Inc
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Facade: Front
Geotechnical: Langan
Civil Engineer: Philip Habib & Associates
Lighting: Dot Dash
