Inside the New Museum’s reopening on the Bowery

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The New Museum reopened on the Bowery this past Friday, following a major expansion that added about 60,000 square feet to the existing SANAA-designed building.

Attendees gathered ahead of the reopening for a ribbon-cutting for the new structure, designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas in collaboration with Cooper Robertson. The $130 million project expands exhibition space, education programming, and initiatives such as NEW INC, the museum's art, design, and technology incubator.

Local elected officials present included City Council Member Christopher Marte, New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee, and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, whom we had a chance to talk with...

Among those who spoke to the gathered group were Lisa Phillips, director of the New Museum...

... and New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij...

And the ribbon-cutting...

A preview visit offered a first look inside the reconfigured space. The seven-floor expansion is light-filled, with each level offering a distinct layout and feel. 

At the same time, navigating the space can be disorienting — the stairways in particular are visually striking but somewhat difficult to follow.

Several floors were open with exhibition space, including one level dedicated to NEW INC, featuring fabrication areas and coworking spaces. Some areas, including terraces and the roof deck near the Sky Room, were not accessible at the time.

The current exhibition, "New Humans: Memories of the Future," leans heavily into immersive and multimedia work, including robotics, sculpture, and multiple video installations. It can be an intense experience, and difficult to take in fully in one visit.

There was still some visible construction activity in parts of the building...

The New Museum, 235 Bowery at Prince Street, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 9 p.m. close on Thursdays.

Demolition wrapped up at 231 Bowery, the former 6-floor building that stood next to the New Museum, in the fall of 2022. No. 231 was home to Daroma Restaurant Equipment until the spring of 2011, when they moved down the Bowery (and the owner pleaded guilty to tax fraud). The New Museum bought the building for $16.6 million in September 2008.