By Sama Marwan,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York released the first renderings of its revamped modern and contemporary wing, a $550m project spanning around 126,000 sq. ft and designed by Frida Escobedo , the first female architect to design a wing in the museum’s 154-year history. Construction on the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing—named in honour of the couple who donated $125m to the project—is expected to kick off in 2026 and be completed in 2030.
“Frida Escobedo’s extraordinarily inspired, deeply thoughtful and dynamic design for the Tang Wing cements her standing as one of today’s most relevant architects,” Max Hollein, the Met’s director and chief executive, said in a statement, adding that her “elegant, contemporary design reflects not only an understanding of architectural history, materiality and artistic expression but also a deep appreciation for the Met’s mission, collection and visitors”.
“The wing will comprise a three-story base supporting recessed fourth and fifth floors,” a representative for Escobedo’s studio said in a statement. “On the fourth floor, a combination of exhibition galleries and a terrace will showcase commissioned contemporary artworks, echoing the purpose of the existing rooftop terrace. The fifth floor will host temporary exhibitions, an additional landscaped terrace and spaces for reflection and community gathering, offering access to privileged views of Central Park and New York City.”
As of this past May, the Met had secured $550m in private donations for the project. In addition to Escobedo’s firm, the team for the project includes executive architect Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and the engineering firms Kohler Ronan and Thornton Tomasetti. The building will include several environmentally friendly features—such as controlled daylight, on-site stormwater retention, a green roof and improved thermal performance—and will seek LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.
