Manhattan’s New Museum has announced that its long-awaited building expansion will open to the public on 21st March 2026, marking a major new chapter for the Bowery institution.
Designed by OMA in collaboration with Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, with Cooper Robertson as Executive Architect, the 60,000 sq ft addition seamlessly integrates with the museum’s existing SANAA-designed building. Together, the structures form one of the few cultural institutions worldwide to unite the work of two living Pritzker Prize–winning practices.
The expansion doubles the New Museum’s gallery space, introduces fluid new circulation via three elevators and a dramatic Atrium Stair, and creates an entrance plaza at Bowery and Prince Street. New public-facing facilities include an enlarged seventh-floor Sky Room, a purpose-built 74-seat Forum, expanded bookstore, and a full-service restaurant operated by the Oberon Group. Upper levels will house a dedicated artists’ residency studio and a permanent home for NEW INC, the museum’s cultural incubator.
Lisa Phillips, Director of the New Museum, described the expanded building as a renewed commitment to “risk-taking, collaboration, and experimentation,” positioning the institution as an ever-evolving site for new art and new ideas as it approaches its 50th anniversary.
Opening exhibition and commissions
The reopening will be anchored by New Humans: Memories of the Future, an ambitious museum-wide exhibition bringing together more than 200 artists, writers, scientists, architects and filmmakers. Exploring how technological and societal change has reshaped ideas of what it means to be human, the exhibition places contemporary figures such as Pierre Huyghe, Hito Steyerl, Wangechi Mutu, Philippe Parreno and Anicka Yi in dialogue with historical visionaries including Francis Bacon, Hannah Höch, Salvador Dali and El Lissitzky.
Alongside the exhibition, a series of major site-specific commissions will enter long-term view, including a new façade work by Tschabalala Self, a monumental sculpture by Klára Hosnedlová for the Atrium Stair, and a public plaza commission by Sarah Lucas.
Opening weekend and beyond
To mark the reopening, the New Museum will offer free admission on 21st–22nd March 2026, welcoming New Yorkers and international visitors for exhibitions, performances and all-ages programming. Preview access will be available to New Museum Members in the days prior.
The reopening also expands the museum’s commitment to families, young people and local communities, with new child-focused resources, free monthly Family Days, teen art programmes, and complimentary guided tours for New York City public schools.
With its expanded footprint, ambitious commissioning programme and renewed public mission, the New Museum reopens not just bigger — but reasserted as one of the most forward-looking spaces for contemporary art today.
New Museum Restaurant
Designed by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu, the New Museum’s first full service restaurant is operated by Henry Rich of the Oberon Group and helmed by Executive Chef Julia Sherman. Located on the lobby level of the New Museum with an additional entrance on Freeman Alley, the restaurant will feature a vegetable-forward menu in an art-filled space, with a commission by Ian Cheng and furnituredesigned by Minjae Kim. Additional information about hours, reservations, and artist collaborations will be announced in the coming weeks.
New Museum Store
Now doubled in size, the New Museum Store is located on the lobby level of the Museum and is accessible without purchasing an admission ticket. Alongside its outstanding selection of art books, the Store will launch a suite of new artist-made objects created to celebrate the New Museum’s expanded building and its reopening exhibitions and commissions. Learn more at newmuseumstore.org.
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