OMA is reshaping the New Museum

The New Museum in New York is set to open its highly anticipated 60,000-square-foot expansion in fall 2025. Designed by OMA in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, the new building will double the museum’s gallery space, enhance visitor circulation, and establish a permanent home for NEW INC, its cultural incubator. Shohei Shigematsu, OMA Partner and Director of OMA New York, describes the expansion as a seamless yet distinct extension of the existing SANAA-designed structure, embodying the museum’s commitment to new artistic perspectives.

The expansion will feature an atrium stairway with views of the Bowery, three additional elevators for improved accessibility, and a dedicated studio for artists-in-residence. The museum’s expanded lobby will also introduce an enlarged bookstore, a full-service restaurant, and a new entrance plaza designed to host public art installations. The upper levels will house a 74-seat forum and the Sky Room, which will double in size while maintaining panoramic views of downtown Manhattan.

Marking this transformative moment, the inaugural exhibition, New Humans: Memories of the Future, will explore the evolving concept of humanity in response to technological and societal shifts. Featuring over 150 international artists, writers, scientists, and architects, the exhibition will highlight key moments in history when new visions of the human condition emerged. Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum, describes the show as an exploration of artists’ roles in shaping our understanding of the future.

Among the site-specific commissions enabled by the expansion is VENUS VICTORIA by Sarah Lucas, the first recipient of the Hostetler/Wrigley Sculpture Award, which will be prominently displayed at the museum’s entrance plaza. The new spaces will also provide opportunities for additional commissions, residencies, and interdisciplinary collaborations, further enriching the museum’s programming.