29 Jan 2016
New York MoMA unveils revised US$445m expansion plans
BY Tom Anstey
New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has unveiled revised US$445m (€407.3m, £310.6m) plans to redevelop and expand the facility, with plans by Diller Scofidio + Renfro streamlining the museum experience to work better for both visitors and curators.
The expansion of facilities, expected to be complete by 2020, will increase gallery space by 30 per cent – an increase of 40,000sq ft (3,716sq m) to 174,000sq ft (16,165sq m).
Following some criticism when the plans were originally unveiled in 2014, grander elements, including a moving floor, retractable glass wall and new entrance to its sculpture garden have been dropped.
New plans include more varied gallery spaces, a larger and less-congested lobby and a faster coat check-in line. The museum’s on-site retail shop will also move from street level to below ground to make room for the lobby expansion, though a cut-away ceiling will mean the space will still be viewable from the street. A second retail space will also be built adjacent to the second-floor café.
“We have been working closely with the architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with executive architects Gensler, to refine plans for MoMA’s renovation and expansion,” said a statement from the museum.
“With more space for experiencing the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, we’ll be able to expand our programming, present recent acquisitions, and bring together works from all mediums in new and different ways.”
Once complete, the museum’s reimagined and expanded galleries, combined with new interpretative programmes, will offer MoMA visitors new engaging ways to view and take in art.
Construction is taking place using a phased approach, with renovation work already underway on some of the public spaces and galleries at the east end of the museum, while more extensive construction work will start in early 2017.
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