The Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art
A world-class home for The Met’s renowned holdings of 20th- and 21st-century art, opening in 2030.
The Met’s bold new vision for the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing is designed by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo—the first woman to design a new wing in the Museum’s 154-year history. Drawing inspiration from The Met’s varied architectural styles, diverse art holdings, and setting within Central Park, the Tang Wing will add to the Museum’s rich history of advancing thoughtful and visionary architecture that is itself a work of art. The reimagined five-story wing will remain within the existing 123,000-square-foot building’s footprint and be no higher than the original height of the 1880 wing at the center of the Museum complex. The new wing will increase gallery space by nearly 50 percent, creating connections across our collection of 5,000 years of art.
The project will address critical accessibility, infrastructure, and sustainability needs that will improve the visitor experience by creating dynamic spaces for the exhibition of art of varying scales and media, thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces, and areas for expanded educational and community programming. The project will utilize cutting-edge sustainable design practices to dramatically reduce energy consumption in that part of the Museum. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and will generate 4,000 union jobs, targeting 30-40 percent participation by minority and women-owned businesses.
READ: A First Look at the Designs
Director and CEO Max Hollein shares architect Frida Escobedo’s dynamic vision for the new Tang Wing.
Architect Frida Escobedo
Frida Escobedo established her eponymous studio in Mexico City in 2006. The studio’s reputation—initially built on the strength of a series of competition-winning projects in her native country, including the renovation of the Hotel Boca Chica (2008), the El Eco Pavilion (2010), and the expansion of La Tallera Siqueiros in Cuernavaca (2012)—has achieved global recognition since 2018, when she received the prestigious appointment to design the annual Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. Following her appointment as the Design Architect for the Tang Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Escobedo opened a studio in New York City in 2022 and is working on other New York–based projects, such as Ray Harlem, a mixed-use development in collaboration with Handel Architects that includes the permanent new home for the National Black Theatre. Most recently, the studio was selected as a co-designer with Moreau Kusunoki for the Centre Pompidou 2030 renovation.
Keep Exploring
Hear from Escobedo about her unique practice of wielding architecture to create powerful spatial and communal experiences.
Browse important and rare works from 1890 to the present.
Discover the department’s fascinating history and meet the staff.
Follow @MetModern on Instagram for news and behind-the-scenes looks at upcoming projects.
FAQs
When is the wing slated to open?
The wing is slated to open in 2030. Check back here and follow @MetModern on Instagram for future updates.
When will the current Modern and Contemporary galleries close?
The closing date will be announced on this page. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Will the new wing still have the Cantor Roof Garden?
The rooftop views New Yorkers and visitors alike have come to expect will be available year-round from indoor and outdoor spaces. The south-facing windows in the fourth- and fifth-floor galleries bring the iconic views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline inside for four-season enjoyment. Both floors also offer direct connections to the park and the city, adding a total of approximately 18,500 square feet of outdoor space spread across the fourth- and fifth-floor terraces. The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, currently located on the fifth floor, will move to the fourth-floor terrace, where visitors will enjoy art set against the backdrop of Central Park in dialogue with interior galleries. In its new home on the fourth floor, space for the seasonal Cantor Roof Garden will expand from 7,500 square feet to nearly 10,000 square feet. The fifth-floor outdoor area will feature landscape designed by Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects that takes its inspiration from the layered traditions of Central Park. This outdoor area will offer visitors a place of respite where they can reconnect with the natural world and the city beyond. These city views from the fourth and fifth floors will be available to museum-goers year-round.
Will there be increased gallery space?
Yes. This project will increase gallery space by nearly 50 percent, with more than 70,000 square feet for the display of modern and contemporary art.
What are the next steps?
The Museum will continue to collaborate closely with NYC Parks and the Central Park Conservancy as NYC Parks advances the project through environmental review. At the same time, The Met is working toward public review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, followed by the Public Design Commission starting in 2025.
How is The Met funding the project?
In May 2024, the Museum announced a fundraising milestone of $550 million in private donations for the wing, demonstrating the extraordinary local, national, and international support for the project from both new and longtime trustees and donors.
Project Updates
As the project progresses, this page will be updated. For additional questions, email tangwing@metmuseum.org.
Image Credits
From top of page: Exterior rendering of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Tang Wing (view from the southwest corner). Visualization by ©Filippo Bolognese Images, courtesy of Frida Escobedo Studio. Artwork identification: Alicja Kwade (born Poland, 1979), ParaPivot I, 2019. Metal and stone. 11 ft. 10 1/2 in. × 18 ft. 4 in. × 21 ft. 11 1/2 in. (362 × 558.8 × 669.3 cm). Alicja Kwade (born Poland, 1979), ParaPivot II, 2019. Metal and stone. 94 3/4 in. × 12 ft. 10 in. × 12. ft. 4 3/4 in. (240.7 × 391.2 × 377.8 cm).
Interior rendering of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Tang Wing. Visualization by ©Filippo Bolognese Images, courtesy of Frida Escobedo Studio. Artwork identification from left to right: Kerry James Marshall (American, 1955), Untitled (Studio), 2014. Acrylic on PVC panels. 83 5/16 × 119 1/4 in. (211.6 × 302.9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation Gift, Acquisitions Fund and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Multicultural Audience Development Initiative Gift, 2015 (2015.366). Nicole Eisenman (American, 1965), The Abolitionists in the Park, 2020–22. Oil on canvas. 10 ft. 8 1/4 in. × 8 ft. 9 1/8 in. (325.8 × 267 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Green Family Art Foundation Gift, courtesy of Adam Green Art Advisory, 2022 (2022.259). Tony Smith (American, 1912–1980), Amaryllis, 1965. Painted steel. Artist's proof from an edition of 3 + 1 AP. 11 ft. 3 in. × 10 ft. 8 in. × 90 in. (342.9 × 325.1 × 228.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Anonymous Gift, 1986 (1986.432a, b). Njideka Akunyili Crosby (Nigerian, 1983), Mother and Child, 2016. Acrylic, transfer printing, colored. pencil, cut and pasted paper, and printed fabric on paper. 95 3/4 in. × 10 ft. 4 1/4 in. (243.2 × 315.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation Gift, 2017.
Interior rendering of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Tang Wing. Visualization by ©Filippo Bolognese Images, courtesy of Frida Escobedo Studio. Artwork identification from left to right: Alexander Calder (American, 1898–1976), Mobile, 1941. Painted aluminum, steel, steel rod, and wire, 60 in. × 152 3/8 in. (152.4 × 387.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1942 (42.176a, b). Carmen Herrera (Cuban, 1915–2022), Azul “Tres”, 1971. Acrylic on Wood. 56 x 42 x 3 in. (142.2 x 106.7 x 7.6 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Promised Gift of John and Amy Griffin, 2023. Ellsworth Kelly (American, 1923–2015), Spectrum V, 1969. Oil on canvas. Each panel: 84 1/8" x 34" x 1 1/8". The Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of the artist, 1969 (69.210a–m). Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928–2011), Stride, 1969. Acrylic on canvas. 9 ft. 9 3/16 in. × 94 in. (297.7 × 238.8 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Anonymous Gift, 1969 (69.275).
Portrait of Frida Escobedo. Photo © Alex Trebus.