«The Museum announced yesterday that it will undertake a comprehensive, multi-year effort to redesign and rebuild the four-block-long outdoor plaza that fronts its landmark Fifth Avenue facade. The project will feature as one of its centerpiece elements the design and installation of all-new fountains outside the building. Following formal approval of the project at yesterday's meeting of its Board of Trustees, the Metropolitan further announced that it has named OLIN, the award-winning landscape architecture and urban design firm with studios in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, to lead this effort.»
"We are proud to launch this monumental project, and delighted to collaborate with such a distinguished and creative design team as OLIN," said Thomas P. Campbell, the Museum's director. "The Met's Beaux-Arts facade is one of the great architectural treasures in America, and this initiative represents an important opportunity to create a truly dynamic space around this remarkable building. The steps of the Met have long been a beloved part of our visitors' experience here, and we look forward to extending the vitality of that iconic area to the surrounding plaza. Indeed, this exciting new outdoor environment will provide the perfect complement to the majestic spaces and exceptional collections found within the building."
The initial phase of design work for the plaza project has been funded by a generous grant by David H. Koch.