Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Gensler's reimagined MoMA opens
October sees the reopening of the MoMA with a ‘reimagined presentation of modern and contemporary art’, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Gensler
Words by Sophie Tolhurst
Opens 21 October, 2019
Although a world-class museum, New York’s MoMA recently re-evaluated the scope of artists it represented, and realised it had a significant problem with them being overwhelmingly male and white. With plans unveiled in 2017, October 2019 sees the reopening of the expanded campus with a ‘reimagined presentation of modern and contemporary art’. In collaboration with Gensler, the expansion was developed with Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
The additional 40,000 sq ft of gallery space is a net increase of one third, and allows a more expansive collection to be exhibited in innovative and interdisciplinary ways. Free street-level galleries expand the public realm and integrate the museum into the local area, while space for live programming and performances will be provided by The Studio, with The Platform intended for education, both with the aim of encouraging visitors to question the more singular history of modern art the museum previously displayed, and allowing different voices to be heard in this established art institution. The museum is physically opened with a light-filled double height space for the main lobby, new circulation routes have been introduced, and an extension to the historic Bauhaus stairs allows direct access from the ground to the second- and third-floor galleries.
