New Museum describes itself as “Manhattan’s only museum devoted exclusively to contemporary art.” It reopened last week after a 60,000-square-foot expansion, envisioned by Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm OMA. The project was headed by Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, in collaboration with Executive Architect Cooper Robertson. When New Museum was founded in 1977 in a one-room office, it became the first contemporary art institution established in New York since WWII. But it wasn’t until 2007 that its first purpose-built space opened. That structure was designed by SANAA, founded by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. Their flagship building – constructed on a former parking lot on the Bowery – is an icon of the Lower East Side, resembling a series of blocks stacked on top of one another. It included five floors of galleries, a theatre and a Sky Room with panoramic views of lower Manhattan.
The expanded building opened on 21 March 2026 with twice the gallery space for exhibitions, new venues for public programmes and special events, as well as a dedicated studio for artists-in-residence. There’s also an entrance plaza, atrium staircase and brand new 74-seat forum. Plus, the iconic Sky Room has been enlarged. The challenge OMA faced was to maintain the architectural integrity of SANAA’s original design; as such, the façade is constructed from laminated glass and metal mesh, materials that “recall and complement” its existing aesthetic. As Shohei Shigematsu, Partner at OMA, explains: “Our design seeks to create a new whole rather than two halves, adding space and openness with its own distinct identity.”
This is a milestone moment for OMA, whose famous projects include the looping CCTV Headquarters in Beijing (2008), Seattle Central Library (2004) and Fondazione Prada, Milan (2015). Founder Rem Koolhaas is often cited as a representative of “deconstructivism”, known for incorporating fragmented forms and making work with an unpredictable visual appearance. Now, the New Museum expansion marks OMA’s arrival on NYC’s cultural stage. Koolhaas adds: “I’m particularly excited that our first public building in New York City will be for the New Museum, one of the most forward-thinking institutions for which I’ve always had a great affinity. Having collaborated with Sejima and Nishizawa on a number of projects in Europe, it is a real honour to stand alongside their great work of architecture, one of my favourites in the city.”
The museum was closed for two years, so it’s only fitting that it reopens with a landmark exhibition. The inaugural show New Humans: Memories of the Future, unfolds throughout the entirety of the floorplan. It brings together 200 artists, architects, filmmakers, scientists and writers to explore how “dramatic technological and societal changes have spurred new conceptions of what it means to be ‘human.’” Featured names include Anicka Yi, Cao Fei, Camille Henrot, Hito Steyerl, Lee Bul, Nam June Paik, Ryan Gander and Wangechi Mutu. This display – described as “provocative and timely” – is complemented by new commissions created for dedicated sites: Tschabalala Self adds to the façade, Klára Hosnedlová presents a monumental sculpture on the stairs, and Sarah Lucas animates the building’s entrance.
The New Museum prides itself on being “a place of experimentation and a hub of new art and new ideas.” Today, galleries must remain in constant state of evolution – architecturally, curatorially, and in dialogue with the audiences they serve. From a single room to 120,000 square feet, the New Museum is a prime example. As Erika Mallin, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts, observes, it is “an institution that refuses to stand still … they are activating new ideas, growing alongside their community, and holding space for the art of tomorrow. The New Museum has reimagined what a museum can be.”
New Humans: Memories of the Future is at New Museum, New York, from 21 March – ongoing.
Words: Eleanor Sutherland
Image Credits:
1. Courtesy New Museum. Photo: Jason Keen.
2. Anicka Yi, In Love with the World, 2021/2025. Plastic, helium, electronics, thermal
camera, positioning system, artificial life simulation, dimensions variable. Courtesy
the artist and Gladstone Gallery.
3. Courtesy New Museum. Photo: Jason Keen.
4. Courtesy New Museum. Photo: Jason Keen.
5. Courtesy New Museum. Photo: Jason O’Rear.
6. Courtesy New Museum. Photo: Jason O’Rear.
7. Courtesy New Museum. Photo: Jason O’Rear.
