The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) has unveiled plans for its new modern and contemporary art wing. Designed by Frida Escobedo, the expansion marks the first wing designed by a woman in the institution's 154 year history, and aims to emphasize accessibility, sustainability and harmony with its historic New York City campus. With $550 million in private donations already under its belt, the Tang Wing is set to open in 2030.
The wing will become the home to the museum’s collection of 20th and 21st century art, constructing over 70,000 square feet of gallery space – a near 50 percent increase – atop the building’s existing footprint. Alongside improved accessibility features, such as additional elevator cores, ramps and optimized circulation paths, the redesign will offer 18,500 square feet of outdoor space across its fourth and fifth floor terraces.
Renderings reveal a five-story building adorned with floor-to-ceiling windows and wrapped in a limestone facade, in which the latticed surface will delicately respond to the movement of sunlight throughout the day. Escobedo’s use of glass and limestone nods to Roche Dinkeloo’s “rhythm of solids and voids” in his 1971 masterplan, creating a structural dialogue with the Met architects that came before her.
Central to the facade is the celosía, which the museum defines as “an architectural screen that references a universal architectural language spanning multiple cultures and centuries.” While paying homage to the museum’s architectural history, Escobedo leans into a contemporary bend, echoing the Met’s vision of globalizing its modern and contemporary art galleries. “The wing is in New York, yet of the world; it reflects the global nature of this great collection and also draws inspiration from The Met’s unique surroundings,” she shared.
For more updates and more information on the Escobedo-designed Tang Wing, head to the Met’s website.
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