New York’s Bronx Museum of the Arts has announced plans for a multi-million dollar architectural overhaul, resulting in more space for the institution’s public programmes and exhibitions.
A public-private partnership between the museum and city of New York, the US$25m (€22.4m, £17m) project is being funded by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and overseen by the NYC Department of Design and Construction.
Venezuelan-American architect Mónica Ponce de León and her interdisciplinary practice MPdL Studio have been selected for phase one of the development to redesign the museum’s South Wing Atrium, which will be renamed the Gallery Cube.
The building will be transformed from opaque to transparent, while works will also be carried out to make it energy-efficient. The Gallery Cube will also be used as a connecting point between the museum’s north and south wings.
A US$6.9m (€6.1m, £4.7m) budget has been set for the first stage of the development. Renovations for the entire project will begin in 2016 with an estimated completion date of 2020. US$15m (€13.4m, £10.2m) will be spent on construction costs, while US$10m (€8.9m, £6.8m) will be used to establish an endowment fund for increased education offerings and public programming.
Though further phases of the development are yet to be announced, it has been confirmed the museum’s internal architecture will be redesigned to provide better use of internal space to increase visitor flow. Additionally, the museum is planning to introduce a new performance space and will turn vacant parking lots into community sculpture gardens.
The museum, which has quadrupled attendance since introducing free admission in 2012, will remain open throughout the development.
“The Bronx Museum of the Arts was born in 1971 out of a belief that all residents of our city deserve to have a major cultural institution that’s a part of their community fabric,” said New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our administration is proud to invest in this project that will bring the talents of a remarkable architect to help build an even stronger institution.”
