After years of anticipation, New York’s most experimental art institutions has finally confirmed its long-awaited return. The New Museum opening date is set for March 21st, 2026, marking the public debut of its major OMA-designed expansion on Manhattan’s Bowery. The reopening signals a new chapter for the contemporary art museum, combining radical architecture, expanded public spaces, and an ambitious inaugural programme.
New Museum opening date and location
Located at 231 Bowery, New York, the New Museum will reopen following more than three years of construction and nearly a decade of planning. The institution, originally designed by SANAA, has been closed since March 2024 to accommodate the addition, which will double its exhibition footprint. With the confirmed New Museum opening date now in place, the museum is preparing to welcome visitors back with free admission during its opening weekend.
A new chapter in museum design New York
The New Museum expansion, designed by OMA under the leadership of Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with executive architects Cooper Robertson, adds a striking 60,000-square-foot, seven-storey building alongside the original SANAA structure. Together, the two buildings form a rare architectural dialogue between living Pritzker Prize–winning practices.
Addressing long-standing critiques of the original building’s circulation, the new structure introduces a more intuitive and fluid visitor experience. Three new elevators, an atrium staircase visible through a transparent façade, and horizontally connected gallery floors create seamless movement throughout the museum. The design balances openness with flexibility, allowing exhibitions to expand across both buildings or remain distinct.
At street level, a reimagined public plaza leads into an expanded lobby featuring a larger bookstore and the museum’s first full-service restaurant, designed by OMA and operated by the Oberon Group. Upper floors accommodate artist studios, education spaces, public forums, and a permanent home for NEW INC, the museum’s cultural incubator—reinforcing the institution’s role as both a civic and creative hub within museum design New York.
Art programme highlights at the updated New Museum
The reopening will be anchored by an ambitious inaugural exhibition titled New Humans: Memories of the Future, unfolding across the entire expansion. The survey brings together more than 200 artists, filmmakers, writers, architects, and scientists, exploring what it means to be human amid rapid technological transformation.
Contemporary voices such as Sophia Al-Maria, Meriem Bennani, Wangechi Mutu, Philippe Parreno, and Precious Okoyomon will be presented alongside 20th-century figures including Francis Bacon, Salvador Dalí, Hannah Höch, and Tatsuo Ikeda, creating dialogues across eras and disciplines.
In addition, new long-term commissions will activate the building itself: a façade installation by Tschabalala Self, a large-scale sculptural work by Klára Hosnedlová, and an outdoor piece by Sarah Lucas situated in the entrance plaza.
With its expanded scale, forward-looking programme, and architectural ambition, the New Museum’s return underscores its enduring position among the most influential art institutions shaping the future of contemporary culture.
Courtesy of OMA/BLOOMIMAGES.DE
