Princeton University Art Museum to Open New Building by Adjaye Associates on October 31
On October 31, 2025, the Princeton University Art Museum will unveil a new structure crafted by Adjaye Associates. Established in 1746, the museum's origins trace back to early donations and played a pivotal role in the formalization of art history as a field in 1882. Allan Marquand, the inaugural director, significantly enhanced the collection, which has grown to encompass over 117,000 pieces under the leadership of James Steward since 2009. The new facility will boast nine pavilions, observation areas, outdoor terraces, a Grand Hall, classrooms, creativity labs, a restaurant, and a rooftop terrace. Highlights will include Roman portraits from Antioch and works by Renaissance masters. In 2026, exhibitions will feature Willem de Kooning, Harry Callahan, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Key facts
- New Princeton University Art Museum building designed by Adjaye Associates opens October 31, 2025.
- Museum founded in 1882; collection dates to 1755.
- Over 117,000 works in the collection.
- New building doubles exhibition, conservation, and study space.
- Features nine interconnected pavilions, Grand Hall, creativity labs, restaurant, rooftop terrace.
- Notable Roman portraits of Octavian Augustus and Marcus Aurelius from Antioch excavations.
- Upcoming 2026 exhibitions: Willem de Kooning, Photography as a Way of Life (Callahan, White, Siskind), Jean-Michel Basquiat.
- David Adjaye: museum will be a cultural gateway between Princeton and the world.
Entities
Artists
- James McCosh
- William Cowper Prime
- Arthur Page Brown
- Allan Marquand
- James Steward
- David Adjaye
- Ottaviano Augusto
- Marco Aurelio
- Cambiaso
- Parmigianino
- Guercino
- Tiepolo
- Modigliani
- Carpaccio
- Michelangelo
- Bernini
- Willem de Kooning
- Harry Callahan
- Minor White
- Aaron Siskind
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
Institutions
- Princeton University Art Museum
- College of New Jersey
- Ivy League
- Department of Art and Archaeology
- Putnam Collection
- Adjaye Associates
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Locations
- Princeton
- United States
- Antioch
- Washington