OMA's Angular Addition Doubles New Museum's Size in NYC

OMA has completed a new building for the New Museum in New York, effectively doubling the institution's size to 11,148 square metres. Designed by Shohei Shigematsu, a New York–based partner of OMA, the addition is conceived as an equal partner to the original 2007 SANAA building, not a separate extension. The SANAA structure, composed of stacked off-kilter boxes clad in expanded aluminum mesh, had become cramped due to growing attendance and programming. OMA's intervention resolves circulation issues with a grand spiraling staircase that offers city views and creates a 'collision space' for public exchange. The facade uses glass laminated with metal mesh, appearing solid by day and transparent at night. A triangular slice of the facade pulls back to create a small plaza aligned with Prince Street, revealing a previously hidden side of the SANAA building. At the top, the massing angles back to expose the cantilevered crown of the original structure. The interior features a four-storey-tall installation titled 'Shelter' by artist Klára Hosnedlová, made of flax-based textiles cascading down the staircase atrium. The addition reportedly opened in a rush with many rough edges still undergoing construction refinements.