Construction is underway on The Metropolitan Museum of Arts Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing in New York, a major addition slated to open in 2030. Designed to house the institutions modern and contemporary art collection, the roughly 12,000-square-meter project will increase the current wings exhibition space by nearly 50%.
Architecture and setting
The new wing is planned as a stepped, five-story structure. A latticed celos eda fa e7ade is central to the design, modulating daylight and responding to the suns movement across the day to illuminate galleries naturally. The scheme also rethinks circulation, creating greater access to nearby Central Park and New Yorks Upper East Side to more closely connect the museum with its surroundings.
Patronage and leadership
The project has been made possible through the patronage of Oscar L. Tang, a Chinese-born businessman and trustee of The Met since 1994, and his wife, Agnes Hsu-Tang, a Taiwan-born archaeologist and art historian. In 2021, the couple donated USD 125 million toward the wingthe largest monetary gift ever granted to the museumwhich now bears their names.
Mexican architect Frida Escobedo is leading the project, marking the first time a woman has designed a wing for The Met in its 156-year history. Her recent and forthcoming work includes the 2018 Serpentine Pavilion in London and a co-design role in Pariss Centre Pompidou 2030 renovation. At the groundbreaking ceremony on September 15, attended by Escobedo alongside various museum, city, and state officials, the Tangs praised the direction of the design, stating that it thoughtfully captures the spirit of the Museums important mission and will be a dynamic addition that is both timely and enduring to The Met and to New York City.
With shovels in the ground, The Met advances a transformative build that will expand how the museum presents modern and contemporary art, while introducing a daylight-sensitive envelope and new connections to the park and the neighborhood. The countdown to 2030 has begun.
