OMA unveils design for New Museum's second gallery building

The New Museum recently announced plans for its second building, a seven-story, 60,000-sf structure that will include three floors of galleries, doubling the museum’s exhibition space.

The new building will replace the current 50,000 sf building at 231 Bowery. The new building will include an atrium stair to improve vertical circulation and offer views of the surrounding neighborhood. The stair and the new entry will open the museum up to the city by aligning to the terminus of Prince Street. The new building will also provide three new elevators and additional public spaces and services such as an expanded lobby and bookstore, an upper level forum connecting to the existing Skyroom, and a new 80-seat restaurant.

A total of 10,096 sf of exhibition space will be added with the new galleries connecting to the existing galleries on three levels (second, third, and fourth floors). The ceiling heights will align on each floor to create expanded space for exhibitions and horizontal flow between the buildings. The expanded spaces can be used singularly across the floor-plate to host larger exhibitions or separately for diversity and curatorial freedom.

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The building’s lower levels will be devoted to back of house and storage; the ground floor will house the restaurant, expanded lobby, bookstore, and a public plaza set back at street level; the second, third, and fourth floors will house galleries; the fifth floor will house NEW INC; the sixth floor will house an artist-in-residence studio and a forum for events and gathering; and the seventh floor will house the education programming and additional events.

The façade uses a laminated glass with metal mesh to provide a simple, unified exterior alongside the main SANAA-designed New Museum building.