In December 2024, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled the designs for its new $550m modern and contemporary art wing.
Designed by architect Frida Escobedo – the first woman to design a wing in The Met’s 154-year history – the Oscar L Tang and H M Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing will increase the current gallery space by almost 50 per cent.
Encompassing more than 126,000sq ft – of which 70,000sq ft will be gallery space – the five-storey wing will remain within the existing building’s 123,000sq ft-footprint and be no higher than the original height of the 1880 wing at the centre of the museum complex. The project includes the renovation and expansion of The Met’s existing modern and contemporary art wing.
The aim of the project was to give The Met’s collection of 20th and 21st century art a world class home and to address accessibility, infrastructure and sustainability needs.
Bringing the museum together The museum’s current modern and contemporary art wing is cut off from the rest of the museum, and has long been seen as something of an afterthought. The new wing will link to the rest of the museum, allowing visitors to make connections with art from different centuries and cultures.
“How can we start understanding the rhythm and the cadence that the museum has?” said Frida Escobedo, founder of Frida Escobedo Studio, in a recent interview.
“The challenge was to weave these connections with the existing museum and adjacent wings and also to make connections with the park in a very subtle way.”
The current campus, she added: “Is very complex – it looks like a medieval town with plazas and towns and squares and little alleys, where you can get lost, which could be fascinating, but also very disorientating.
“Our goal has been to create a building that fully meets the needs and aspirations of The Met, weaving together vital connections between the modern and contemporary art galleries and other areas of the museum and at the same time expressing the special significance of the Tang Wing’s place in the city,” she continued.
“The wing is in New York, yet of the world; it reflects the global nature of this great collection and also draws inspiration from The Met’s unique surroundings. Such an ambition can be realised only through close and consistent collaboration.”
A more welcoming space The new wing will also link more closely with its surroundings, with a more porous façade – its exterior is partially wrapped in a limestone lattice, creating a diaphanous surface that will change as the sun moves. Other features include new windows, an expanded roof garden on the Wing’s fourth floor, and an additional outdoor terrace on the fifth with views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.
“A primary goal in the design is to create dynamic connections with its surroundings – fostering both intimacy and interiority, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the artworks while permitting the landscape to filter through the facade at key moments,” said Escobedo.
The more porous exterior will also allow passers-by glimpses of the interior. “It’s more approachable,” said Escobedo. “That was part of the intention — to make people feel invited.
“The wing is in New York, yet of the world; it reflects the global nature of this great collection and also draws inspiration from The Met’s unique surroundings.”
Frida Escobedo established her studio in Mexico City in 2006. Projects include the annual Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens, the courtyard at La Tallera in Cuernavaca, several projects for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London; and the restoration of the Hotel Boca Chica in Acapulco, Mexico.
In May 2024, the museum announced a fundraising milestone of $550 million in private donations for the wing. It is planned to open in 2030. In other news, The Met will reopen its Michael C Rockefeller Wing in May 2025.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2025 issue 1
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People: Marian Lee
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People: Frida Escobedo
The first woman to design a wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art shares her vision for a more usable and welcoming space for modern and contemporary art
People: Delta Kay
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Theme parks: Bob Weis
The former president of Imagineering pulls back the curtain to give a behind the scenes look at how some of Disney’s biggest projects took shape
Museums: Space to learn
From the world’s first AI art museum to the latest cultural institution transforming a rural Japanese island... We check out some intriguing museums taking shape across the globe
Technology: Guiding light
Genell Zuciya, creator of attractions for Disney and Meow Wolf, explores the transformative power of lighting
Theme parks: Block party
Merlin meets Minecraft in a $85m deal set to bring the world’s biggest selling video game to life. Could this be Merlin’s most significant partnership?
Museums: A new dawn
The first phase of a ground-breaking new museum campus has opened in Benin City, Nigeria. Is this the future for post-colonial institutions?
Research: Quiet zoos
Could a quieter zoo environment restore zoos’ original purpose as restorative retreats for overstimulated minds? The authors of a new research paper certainly think so
In December 2024, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled the designs for its new $550m modern and contemporary art wing.
Designed by architect Frida Escobedo – the first woman to design a wing in The Met’s 154-year history – the Oscar L Tang and H M Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing will increase the current gallery space by almost 50 per cent.
Encompassing more than 126,000sq ft – of which 70,000sq ft will be gallery space – the five-storey wing will remain within the existing building’s 123,000sq ft-footprint and be no higher than the original height of the 1880 wing at the centre of the museum complex. The project includes the renovation and expansion of The Met’s existing modern and contemporary art wing.
The aim of the project was to give The Met’s collection of 20th and 21st century art a world class home and to address accessibility, infrastructure and sustainability needs.
Bringing the museum together The museum’s current modern and contemporary art wing is cut off from the rest of the museum, and has long been seen as something of an afterthought. The new wing will link to the rest of the museum, allowing visitors to make connections with art from different centuries and cultures.
“How can we start understanding the rhythm and the cadence that the museum has?” said Frida Escobedo, founder of Frida Escobedo Studio, in a recent interview.
“The challenge was to weave these connections with the existing museum and adjacent wings and also to make connections with the park in a very subtle way.”
The current campus, she added: “Is very complex – it looks like a medieval town with plazas and towns and squares and little alleys, where you can get lost, which could be fascinating, but also very disorientating.
“Our goal has been to create a building that fully meets the needs and aspirations of The Met, weaving together vital connections between the modern and contemporary art galleries and other areas of the museum and at the same time expressing the special significance of the Tang Wing’s place in the city,” she continued.
“The wing is in New York, yet of the world; it reflects the global nature of this great collection and also draws inspiration from The Met’s unique surroundings. Such an ambition can be realised only through close and consistent collaboration.”
A more welcoming space The new wing will also link more closely with its surroundings, with a more porous façade – its exterior is partially wrapped in a limestone lattice, creating a diaphanous surface that will change as the sun moves. Other features include new windows, an expanded roof garden on the Wing’s fourth floor, and an additional outdoor terrace on the fifth with views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline.
“A primary goal in the design is to create dynamic connections with its surroundings – fostering both intimacy and interiority, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the artworks while permitting the landscape to filter through the facade at key moments,” said Escobedo.
The more porous exterior will also allow passers-by glimpses of the interior. “It’s more approachable,” said Escobedo. “That was part of the intention — to make people feel invited.
“The wing is in New York, yet of the world; it reflects the global nature of this great collection and also draws inspiration from The Met’s unique surroundings.”
Frida Escobedo established her studio in Mexico City in 2006. Projects include the annual Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens, the courtyard at La Tallera in Cuernavaca, several projects for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London; and the restoration of the Hotel Boca Chica in Acapulco, Mexico.
In May 2024, the museum announced a fundraising milestone of $550 million in private donations for the wing. It is planned to open in 2030. In other news, The Met will reopen its Michael C Rockefeller Wing in May 2025.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2025 issue 1
Editor's letter: A fresh perspective
As a new report argues that silence can help visitors better appreciate zoos, Magali Robathan explores a different way of operating
People: Marian Lee
As Netflix announces the launch of immersive attraction Netflix House, we hear about the plans from the company’s CMO
People: Frida Escobedo
The first woman to design a wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art shares her vision for a more usable and welcoming space for modern and contemporary art
People: Delta Kay
Indigenous experiences are important for fostering respect, and must not be co-opted by non Indigenous operators, says Aboriginal tour guide Delta Kay
Theme parks: Bob Weis
The former president of Imagineering pulls back the curtain to give a behind the scenes look at how some of Disney’s biggest projects took shape
Museums: Space to learn
From the world’s first AI art museum to the latest cultural institution transforming a rural Japanese island... We check out some intriguing museums taking shape across the globe
Technology: Guiding light
Genell Zuciya, creator of attractions for Disney and Meow Wolf, explores the transformative power of lighting
Theme parks: Block party
Merlin meets Minecraft in a $85m deal set to bring the world’s biggest selling video game to life. Could this be Merlin’s most significant partnership?
Museums: A new dawn
The first phase of a ground-breaking new museum campus has opened in Benin City, Nigeria. Is this the future for post-colonial institutions?
Research: Quiet zoos
Could a quieter zoo environment restore zoos’ original purpose as restorative retreats for overstimulated minds? The authors of a new research paper certainly think so
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
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