At the end of 2024, a report from New York City Tourism + Conventions found that New York City was the most-visited large city in the United States. But between high-profile detentions of tourists, President Trump’s threats to annex Canada, and increasingly hostile policies towards the LGBTQ+ community, many international tourists are choosing to avoid New York City along with the rest of the United States. The city’s tourism business is already taking a hit (h/t Gothamist).
This threatens to undo the gains arts institutions have made in the years following the pandemic-induced closures. In July 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that their attendance now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. At the end of 2024, a report from New York City Tourism + Conventions found that Broadway grosses were an estimated $1.5 billion, up 6 percent from 2023 but not quite at pre-pandemic levels. Most recently, a report found that contrary to what some had feared, Broadway attendance has risen after congestion pricing was implemented.
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Davis Center at Harlem Meer Ribbon Cutting
New York City’s rich artistic and cultural scene has long been a draw for international visitors, and is a wonderful perk for residents. Spring 2025 promises to be a particularly exciting time: the long-awaited Davis Center at Harlem Meer opens to the public on April 26. Designed to replace the long-outdated Lasker Rink and Pool, which was only ever open during the winter and summer, the new facility will be open all year with a massive outdoor pool in the summer, an ice skating rink in the winter, a green lawn in spring and fall, and athletic and arts programming throughout the year.
The Frick Collection reopened to the public on April 17 following an extensive, five-year renovation of its landmarked Upper East Side headquarters. The Met Gala will take place on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is in the middle of renovations of its own.
The Frick Collection, East Gallery (Nicholas Venezia)
Further downtown, May 2025 will mark the tenth anniversary of the Whitney Museum at its Meatpacking District location, and a Decade Downtown celebration is in the works. The 2025 Tribeca Festival lineup recently went live. All the while, the past several weeks have seen a flurry of openings on Broadway ahead of April 27, the Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date.
Additionally, the report from New York City Tourism attributed year-over-year employment growth in the arts and culture sector to the opening of new venues and exhibitions throughout the city. We look at many more to come, as well as recently opened museums, theaters, and other cultural institutions going strong.
Coming Soon
Davis Center (Richard Barnes)
On April 26, the long-anticipated Davis Center at Harlem Meer will open to the public at the northern end of Central Park North. In stark contrast to the Lasker Rink and Pool, which was long decried as an eyesore, the new, state-of-the-art facility is built into the site's topography to integrate seamlessly with Central Park, and features a landscaped roof that Patch compares to "a futuristic Earth ship." The $160 million project also included improvements to Central Park North like unblocking a natural creek that the old rink covered, building a new boardwalk along the creek, and providing greater access to Harlem Meer.
A larger than Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool is set to open in early June, and will be converted to a full-sized ice skating rink in winter. In spring and fall, this space will be used as the Harlem Oval, a green space for recreation and relaxation.
Moreover, the Davis Center will work with local arts and sports non-profits to create free and low-cost programming all year long. These include dance classes with Go Hard Dance, art classes run by Harlem School of the Art, yoga and meditation classes by Multitasking Yogi, and birding tours.
Moreover, the Davis Center will work with local arts and sports non-profits to create free and low-cost programming all year long. These include dance classes with Go Hard Dance, art classes run by Harlem School of the Art, yoga and meditation classes by Multitasking Yogi, and birding tours.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art ("the Met") is among the world’s largest and most famous museums, and the Fifth Avenue building housing the treasures is a work of art in and of itself, not to mention a New York City Landmark. As of this writing, the museum is winding down a major overhaul of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, which contains 40,000 square feet of galleries dedicated to sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the ancient Americas. A new curtain wall restores views of Central Park and incorporates filtered daylight, and digital features and new wall text allow for deeper contextualization of objects on display.
Rendering by wHY, courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Completion estimated for fall 2025
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New Museum rendering (Image credit: Courtesy OMA/bloomimages.de)
Shortly after demolition permits were filed for a six-story building at 231 Bowery, the neighboring New Museum revealed renderings of its replacement, to be designed by Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu of OMA in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, and to double the exhibition space at the museum's SANAA-designed flagship building. The more transparent new building will add more than 10,000 square feet of gallery space, connect with existing galleries, and connect the lobbies of the two buildings in one large space with an expanded bookstore and a new restaurant.
The New Museum temporarily closed on March 5, 2024 to continue the expansion. Less than a year later, it announced details about the fall 2025 reopening. The inaugural exhibition, New Humans: Memories of the Future, will trace key moments in the 20th and 21st centuries when shifts in technology and society redefined what it means to be human.
The new building will be named in honor of philanthropist Toby Devan Lewis, whose $30 million contribution to the capital campaign is the largest gift in the museum's history. The restaurant will be a zero-waste space helmed by Julia Sherman, chef and author of Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists.
The new building will be named in honor of philanthropist Toby Devan Lewis, whose $30 million contribution to the capital campaign is the largest gift in the museum's history. The restaurant will be a zero-waste space helmed by Julia Sherman, chef and author of Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists.
Completion estimated for 2025
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One Times Square is known all over the world as the site of the New Year’s Eve ball drop, and owner Jamestown announced a $500 million revamp of the 118-year-old tower that, in the words of Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris, “will bring New Year’s Eve to Times Square 365 days a year” at the end of 2022.
One Times Square, spring 2025 (CityRealty)
One Times Square was originally built as headquarters for The New York Times, and has largely been inaccessible to the public since then. The redevelopment seeks to change that with an indoor, 12-story visitors center. Six stories will be dedicated to a museum of the building’s history, and companies will be able to buy space on the other six stories dedicated to immersive experiences.
It will also include an outdoor viewing deck overlooking Times Square, and a waitlist is now open. One Times Square is also accepting reservations for EVER, a hospitality space centered on weddings and related events (e.g., proposals, vow renewals).
It will also include an outdoor viewing deck overlooking Times Square, and a waitlist is now open. One Times Square is also accepting reservations for EVER, a hospitality space centered on weddings and related events (e.g., proposals, vow renewals).
EVER (Jamestown)
While the ball drop has still taken place since the announcement and the world-famous LED signs (some of the world’s most valuable advertising space) remained in place during construction, billboards near the bottom of the building were removed to make way for a new facade and new windows. The project also includes a new subway entrance, which recently opened, and a new public plaza on the tower’s east side. The project topped out in December 2023 (a few weeks before the New Year's Eve ball drop), new LED billboards are on the way up, and interior work remains underway.
One Times Square, spring 2025 (CityRealty)
Completion estimated for 2025
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Breuer Building (Max Touhey)
In the nearly 60 years since it opened in 1966, the museum designed by Marcel Breuer at 945 Madison Avenue has housed collections of the Whitney Museum, the Frick Collection (see above), and served as an outpost for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Most recently, auction house Sotheby's has made it the address of its new global headquarters.
Around the time the $100 million sale closed, Sotheby's announced that it had tapped Pritzker Prize laureates Herzog & de Meuron for a renovation (h/t Architectural Record). Upon completion, the building will host state-of-the-art gallery spaces open to the public as well as a new fine dining restaurant designed by Roman and Williams.
Around the time the $100 million sale closed, Sotheby's announced that it had tapped Pritzker Prize laureates Herzog & de Meuron for a renovation (h/t Architectural Record). Upon completion, the building will host state-of-the-art gallery spaces open to the public as well as a new fine dining restaurant designed by Roman and Williams.
Lobby sketch (Apollo Theater)
On the same day the Apollo Theater announced that longtime President and CEO Jonelle Procope would step down in June 2023, they also announced that their world-famous performance venue would undergo a transformative renovation helmed by Beyer Blinder Belle and done in collaboration with theater, acoustics, and digital consultants Charcoalblue and Flyleaf Creative. The renovation is set to include improvements to the building’s exterior, the restoration of a built-in orchestra pit, expanding the lobby to include a new cafe and bar, upgrading to more efficient HVAC systems, updating the lighting and sound systems, upgrading restrooms, and adding and upgrading theater seating. While renovations are underway, programming will take place on the Soundstage and at the Victoria Theater (see below).
Interior rendering (Charcoalblue, Flyleaf Creative, and Beyer Blinder Belle)
Completion estimated for 2025
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Studio Museum of Harlem
The Studio Museum of Harlem is devoted to the work of artists of African descent, and would quickly outgrow its first two homes. The previous structure was demolished in February 2020, and interior work on a new design by Sir David Adjaye is underway. The new space will make room for the museum to expand its exhibitions while simultaneously displaying items in the permanent collection as well as offer nearly seventy percent more space for educational programs and public events. Additional features include three studios for artists-in-residence, a cafe, a glass-fronted lobby, and a free roof area.
Completion estimated for 2026
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The building's exterior will feature solar panels and a planted screen (ABC No Rio via Paul A. Castrucci Architect)
Ever since the 1980s, ABC No Rio (named for the only legible letters on a nearby sign) has been known as a Lower East Side community of artists and activists. Its existing space fell into serious disrepair, and the new building promises to double the size of its gallery and performance spaces. It is also set to become one of New York's first commercial buildings constructed to Passive House standards, and its design by Paul A. Castrucci Architect will feature a high-performance building envelope, high-performance windows, a heat-recovery ventilation system, a grey-water recycling system, energy efficient lighting, a solar photovoltaic system, a planting screen, and a green roof.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place in July 2024. The city's Department of Cultural Affairs committed funds for construction; and, following the death of longtime director Steven Englander, a memorial fundraiser for the new building is underway.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place in July 2024. The city's Department of Cultural Affairs committed funds for construction; and, following the death of longtime director Steven Englander, a memorial fundraiser for the new building is underway.
Gallery rendering (Paul A. Castrucci Architect)
All renderings via Robert A.M. Stern Architects for Landmarks Preservation Commission
The recently rebranded New York Historical (ne New York Historical Society) has sought to expand since 1983, but its status as a “triple landmark” (an individual landmark located in the Central Park West-76th Street Historic District and the Upper West Side/Central Park West Historic District) meant this could not proceed without Landmarks' approval. But in summer 2021, a proposal warmly greeted by city officials and local preservationists alike received unanimous Landmarks approval, clearing the way for the expansion to move forward.
Expansion overview (New York Historical)
The new, 80,000-square-foot wing is rising on a parcel of land purchased by the New York Historical Society in the 1930s for the express purpose of building an annex. A presentation by Robert A.M. Stern Architects notes that the quarry that provided stone for the original design is still open and would provide materials for the expansion. Construction began in November 2023, and the anticipated 2026 completion date is timed to coincide with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Kligenstein Family Gallery (New York Historical)
Upon completion, the new wing will serve as the home for the historical society's Tang Academy for American Democracy and Dorothy Tapper Goldman Center for Teaching Democracy, allowing the number of students in the Tang Academy to increase tenfold. The top floor will house the first-ever American LGBTQ+ Museum, the groundbreaking of which took place in December 2024. Additional features are set to include the Stuart and Jane Weitzman Shoe Museum, a permanent exhibition of women's shoes leading to the new wing; new exhibition hall the Kllingenstein Family Gallery; a state-of-the-art storage tower for the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library; a new conservation studio for painting and paper; a courtyard garden terrace; and a rooftop garden terrace.
Roof terrace
Rendering of the updated Buttenweiser Hall (Beyer Blinder Belle)
Rendering of the renovated May Center lobby (Beyer Blinder Belle)
At the height of the pandemic in 2020, New York’s cultural institutions were forced to close their doors. However, that is not to say that programming ceased at Upper East Side mainstay 92nd Street Y: They quickly pivoted to digital performances, readings, interviews, and lectures. In doing so, they were able to attract a global audience well beyond New York.
The experience prompted the 92nd Street Y to rebrand itself as 92NY (full name: 92nd Street Y, New York) with the tagline “Where New York meets the world” (h/t/ Gothamist). This involves a $200 million, top-to-bottom renovation of the Upper East Side campus, to be done in stages so as to keep the doors open.
The groundbreaking for the first phase took place in July 2022, and this included a full renovation of performance space Buttenweiser Hall, a new, state-of-the-art dance center, and upgraded facilities in the May Center gym. The second phase includes a new lobby with a double-height entrance, a modernized Arts Center with state-of-the-art studios, and upgraded spaces in the North building.
The experience prompted the 92nd Street Y to rebrand itself as 92NY (full name: 92nd Street Y, New York) with the tagline “Where New York meets the world” (h/t/ Gothamist). This involves a $200 million, top-to-bottom renovation of the Upper East Side campus, to be done in stages so as to keep the doors open.
The groundbreaking for the first phase took place in July 2022, and this included a full renovation of performance space Buttenweiser Hall, a new, state-of-the-art dance center, and upgraded facilities in the May Center gym. The second phase includes a new lobby with a double-height entrance, a modernized Arts Center with state-of-the-art studios, and upgraded spaces in the North building.
Completion estimated for 2026
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Photo by london road on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/16497759@N07/51765574507/in/photolist-BseS2w-zpstH9-BFzWxZ-2nEkS-k1H7g-2jKieuc-2kPMNsY-2mSm6Pi-6smnAz-2jKdn7N-nxgLgX-27ANsx-2pojkms)
In the years since the Upper West Side’s landmarked Metro Theater closed its doors and gutted the interiors, the owner floated the possibility of converting it to space for a non-profit, and permits were filed to convert the interiors to retail space. But in April 2025, non-profit Upper West Side Cinema bought the theater for $6.9 million with some help from Governor Hochul, grants from the New York State Senate, and grants from private donors including the Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg Hearthland Foundation.
Upper West Side Cinema plans to restore the building with five new screens, and Deadline has confirmed that it will be an arthouse cinema showing classics, foreign films, documentaries, and first-run independent films. Additional features will include a lobby lounge, a public cafe, and an education center.
Upper West Side Cinema plans to restore the building with five new screens, and Deadline has confirmed that it will be an arthouse cinema showing classics, foreign films, documentaries, and first-run independent films. Additional features will include a lobby lounge, a public cafe, and an education center.
Opening estimated for 2026
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Rendering of the Urban League Empowerment Center, future home of the museum, via Beyer Blinder Belle
In July 2019, Empire State Development announced a new 17-story, 412,105-square-foot development for the heart of Harlem named the Urban League Empowerment Center. In addition to bringing 170 affordable housing units, below-market office space for local non-profits and community groups, and retail (including Harlem's first Trader Joe's) to the neighborhood, the project will be the home of the 20,000-square-foot Urban Civil Rights Museum, the first of its kind in the northern United States.
Museum director Jennifer Scott has said that it will go well beyond the traditional civil rights eras of the 1950s and 1960s, all the way back to the early African American presence in the North and bringing it up to the present day. The museum is expected to open next year, and the retail in the building opened in July 2024.
Museum director Jennifer Scott has said that it will go well beyond the traditional civil rights eras of the 1950s and 1960s, all the way back to the early African American presence in the North and bringing it up to the present day. The museum is expected to open next year, and the retail in the building opened in July 2024.
Miramar, future home of new People's Theatre performing arts center (Housing Connect)
The People's Theatre is Manhattan's largest performing arts organization north of Harlem, and has spent the past 16 seasons working to capture the artistic and cultural renaissance of Upper Manhattan. In October 2023, a groundbreaking ceremony took place for the People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante, a 19,000-square-foot performing arts center to feature a flexible mid-size theater, a smaller performance space, rehearsal studios, a soundproof practice room, and gallery space.
The new performing arts center is housed in Miramar, a mixed-income, mixed-use residential development set to offer nearly 700 new housing units, all-electric heating and cooling, and new neighborhood retail space. A housing lottery for 281 affordable units in effect until June 2, and a market-rate leasing launch is on the horizon.
The new performing arts center is housed in Miramar, a mixed-income, mixed-use residential development set to offer nearly 700 new housing units, all-electric heating and cooling, and new neighborhood retail space. A housing lottery for 281 affordable units in effect until June 2, and a market-rate leasing launch is on the horizon.
Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture, Inwood
Completion estimated for 2026
North Cove (Housing Connect)
In August 2024, Governor Hochul announced $12.5 million to establish a cultural center led by the Dominican Studies Institute at City College and dedicated to preserving the arts and culture of both the Dominican Republic and New Yorkers of Dominican descent. It will include a museum and exhibition space to be open to the public for free, a state-of-the-art theater/auditorium, a children's library managed by a branch of the New York Public Library, and an oral history and archives project.
The Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture will be housed in North Cove, a mixed-use development with over 600 affordable housing units. The lottery took place in early 2025.
The Dominican Center for the Arts and Culture will be housed in North Cove, a mixed-use development with over 600 affordable housing units. The lottery took place in early 2025.
Variety Boys and Girls Club Planetarium, Astoria
Completion estimated for 2026
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Variety Boys and Girls Club Planetarium Rendering (Senator Michael Gianaris - Flickr)
As it currently stands, Queens residents who want to visit the planetarium have to take a subway trip to the Hayden Planetarium on Manhattan's Upper West Side. But in September 2022, a $1 million state grant was provided to fund the borough’s first-ever planetarium. It will be located at the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens in Astoria, where it will be part of the club's redevelopment and is expected to serve more than 10,000 people a year.
Completion estimated for 2026
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Rendering of the Universal Hip Hop Museum via S9 Architecture
The Universal Hip Hop Museum is a key component of the Bronx Point development on the Harlem River waterfront. It will occupy 50,000 square feet and feature hip hop artifacts, a recording studio experience, a DJ booth, a graffiti station, and a virtual reality theater.
Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Nas, and Fat Joe were among the luminaries in attendance at a May 2021 groundbreaking ceremony. The museum had hoped to open in 2023, in time for the 50th anniversary of hip hop, but its website now says it will open in 2026.
Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Nas, and Fat Joe were among the luminaries in attendance at a May 2021 groundbreaking ceremony. The museum had hoped to open in 2023, in time for the 50th anniversary of hip hop, but its website now says it will open in 2026.
Rendering of The Bronx Museum (Marvel Architects)
In fall 2022, Marvel Architects revealed a schematic for the renovation of The Bronx Museum. This calls for elegantly integrating the north and south wings of the South Atrium for a singular and cohesive experience.
Jonathan Marvel said in a statement that their goal was to blur the boundaries of building and sidewalk; to that end, the main entrance will be relocated to the highly visible Grand Concourse and 165th Street, and the reimagined lobby will include large, street-facing displays for rotating installations. The museum remains open while construction is underway, with all exhibitions and events taking place in the north gallery.
Jonathan Marvel said in a statement that their goal was to blur the boundaries of building and sidewalk; to that end, the main entrance will be relocated to the highly visible Grand Concourse and 165th Street, and the reimagined lobby will include large, street-facing displays for rotating installations. The museum remains open while construction is underway, with all exhibitions and events taking place in the north gallery.
Completion estimated for 2027
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Timbale Terrace (nyc.gov)
In August 2021, the New York City Department of Housing and Development announced some of the first major new developments under the East Harlem rezoning approved in 2017. Among them was Timbale Terrace, a new mixed-use development set to rise on a former NYPD 25th Precinct parking site. It will be constructed to Passive House standards and feature 341 affordable housing units (97 of which will be designated supportive housing) as well as 20,000 square feet of ground floor space designated for the Casa Belongó Music and Arts Center ("Casa Belongó"), a new home for the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.
Casa Belongo rendering (Afro Latin Jazz Alliance)
The Afro Latin Jazz Alliance was selected as the cultural partner of Timbale Terrace, and Casa Belongó is being developed in partnership with the Lantern Organization and Mega Development. This will be East Harlem’s first performing arts center dedicated to Afro Latin music and arts, and the project is now in design by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro. Its offerings will include community programs and event space, music and technical program training, after-school programs, free arts education classes, live performances, a recording studio, an archival library, and a cafe.
Moreover, Casa Belongó will allow the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance to expand its programming, consolidate its operations and performances, and reach a wider audience. It has expressed interest in working with other local arts and cultural organizations, including Art for Change, the Association of Hispanic Arts, El Museo del Barrio, La Casa de la Herencia Cultural Puertorriquena, Speaking in Rhythms, and Taller Boricua PR Workshop. The City Planning Commission approved the Timbale Terrace development in January 2024, and the project received final approval in July 2024.
In October 2023, construction topped out on Ray Harlem, a new Harlem building that will include a new, permanent, state-of-the-art home for the National Black Theater, which is the oldest Black theater owned and operated by a Black woman. The multi-floor space is set to include a 250-seat flexible temple space, a 99-seat studio theater, classrooms, and offices. Interior work is expected to begin later this year with a grand opening planned for 2027.
Moreover, developer Ray is working with the National Black Theater on an Artist Housing Initiative that will create better access to housing for local artists and creatives; this program will be central to the 222 mixed-income apartments on top of the theater. An affordable lottery took place earlier this winter, a leasing launch is on the horizon for the market-rate units, and the National Black Theater's 2024/2025 season is playing at other venues in the city until the new space opens.
Moreover, developer Ray is working with the National Black Theater on an Artist Housing Initiative that will create better access to housing for local artists and creatives; this program will be central to the 222 mixed-income apartments on top of the theater. An affordable lottery took place earlier this winter, a leasing launch is on the horizon for the market-rate units, and the National Black Theater's 2024/2025 season is playing at other venues in the city until the new space opens.
National Black Theater rendering Rendering credit: Luxigon, National Black Theater
Rendering via FXCollaborative
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is such a popular destination for families all over New York that it is on the verge of outgrowing its Upper West Side space. To that end, the museum purchased a church at 361 Central Park West and worked closely with FXCollaborative to create a state-of-the-art museum with a historic exterior.
The project won unanimous Landmarks approval in June 2020. In October 2024, the museum announced that philanthropist/founding board chair Laurie Tisch had donated $50 million to the museum's $300 million capital campaign.
The project won unanimous Landmarks approval in June 2020. In October 2024, the museum announced that philanthropist/founding board chair Laurie Tisch had donated $50 million to the museum's $300 million capital campaign.
Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Following the opening of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing (see above), The Met will turn its attention to the expansion of the Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, named in honor of philanthropists Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang. The Met has sought to renovate its modern and contemporary galleries for quite some time, and enlisted Frida Escobedo, designer of Ray Harlem (see above), in March 2022, replacing Pritzker Prize laureate David Chipperfield.
The new wing will remain within the museum's existing footprint and rise no higher than the original height of the 1880 wing at the center of the museum. It will increase gallery space by nearly 50 percent; in addition to creating space for displaying art, it will include thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces and areas for educational and community programming. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Completion estimated for 2030
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Climate Exchange (Skidmore Owings & Merrill)
Governors Island has come a long way from its days as a Union barracks and Confederate prison during the Civil War: Since the federal government returned it to the City and State of New York in 2003, it has been transformed into a public park, event space, picnic spot, spa locale...and that's just the beginning. A 19th-century warehouse was transformed into a year-round home for the arts, which opened in September 2019. More recently, in April 2023, Mayor Adams, Trust for Governors Island, and SUNY Stony Brook University unveiled the New York Climate Exchange, a state-of-the-art campus dedicated to researching and developing climate solutions.
The 400,000-square-foot campus will include classrooms, laboratories, public exhibition space, student and faculty housing, and an auditorium space. It will include New York's first commercial buildings utilizing mass timber and be underpinned with an all-electric infrastructure, a geothermal and heat pump network, and non-potable water demand met with rainwater or treated wastewater.
The project is over 20 years in the making, and a cornerstone of the mayor's "Rebuilt, Renew, Reinvent" initiative. New renderings were unveiled in February 2025, and groundbreaking is estimated for fall 2026.
The project is over 20 years in the making, and a cornerstone of the mayor's "Rebuilt, Renew, Reinvent" initiative. New renderings were unveiled in February 2025, and groundbreaking is estimated for fall 2026.
Museum of Islamic Art, Financial District
Completion date TBD
Rendering via SOMA Architects
In 2019, a set of renderings was revealed for the Museum of Islamic Art, which is taking shape next door to the luxury condominium at 45 Park Place. These show a tree-lined entrance with reflecting pools and light-flooded exhibition and prayer spaces, and Jean Nouvel was reportedly attached to the project. The museum was originally conceived as a community center, but it would be an ideal venue for club meetings and other events. It remains to be seen how long it will take, though -- the site remains undeveloped, and in December 2023, developer Sharif El-Gamal was hit with a foreclosure suit.
Completion TBD
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New building rendering (Museum of Chinese in America/ © 2022 Maya Lin Studio with Bialosky New York)
In spring 2022, more than two years after a devastating fire at its research offices and archives, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) unveiled renderings of a new building by acclaimed architect and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Maya Lin. The building's design was inspired by vertical Chinese landscape paintings and traditional tangram puzzles, and perforated panels will allow light to strategically enter the spaces.
The museum's permanent collection will be housed on the third through fourth floors, and the new building will feature a center for research and genealogy, a theater, classrooms, a cooking demonstration kitchen, a canteen, and outdoor gathering spaces. It began to take shape with the help of grants from the Ford Foundation and MacKenzie Scott, but a new capital campaign is underway following a change in leadership.
The museum's permanent collection will be housed on the third through fourth floors, and the new building will feature a center for research and genealogy, a theater, classrooms, a cooking demonstration kitchen, a canteen, and outdoor gathering spaces. It began to take shape with the help of grants from the Ford Foundation and MacKenzie Scott, but a new capital campaign is underway following a change in leadership.
Rendering of Anthology Film Archives expansion via Bone/Levine Architects
In 1988, Anthology Film Archives opened in the former Third District Magistrates Courthouse as the first museum dedicated to film as an art form. Since then, it has served as a video preservation center, a reference library related to avant-garde cinema, and screening center for films outside the commercial mainstream. It is now in the middle of upgrades that will bring upgraded infrastructure, a new library, new film vaults, a new cafe, and a rooftop terrace to the building. The expansion is underway with the blessing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and in the final stretch of a capital campaign.
Renderings via 1014
Across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, an early 20th-century Beaux Arts townhouse has served as the center of German culture for decades. It served as the home of the American ambassador to Germany from 1926 to 1951, and was purchased by the German government in 1961. Indeed, 1014 Fifth Avenue is still owned and run by the German government and its New York consulate. The building was the home of Goethe House New York for almost 50 years until its departure in 2009. Since then, 1014 - space for ideas (“1014”; nee German Academy New York Inc.) has been putting on cultural programming in the space.
David Chipperfield Architects won an international competition for the opportunity to design the renovation and restoration of the townhouse. The project is entitled “An Open House” to signify the opening, sharing, and connecting at the core of the building’s mission. It will be organized in public and private areas that overlap in a double-height common room at the center. Additional features will include an exhibition space, a fernery, a garden, and a rooftop terrace.
David Chipperfield Architects won an international competition for the opportunity to design the renovation and restoration of the townhouse. The project is entitled “An Open House” to signify the opening, sharing, and connecting at the core of the building’s mission. It will be organized in public and private areas that overlap in a double-height common room at the center. Additional features will include an exhibition space, a fernery, a garden, and a rooftop terrace.
Completion TBD
Rendering via OMA
In June 2021, Paris' Centre Pompidou raised some eyebrows when it announced plans to open its first North American satellite in Jersey City. However, it made sense to city officials and museum executives alike. Jersey City has been working to establish itself as a center for arts and culture, and a century-old commercial building in Journal Square was set to be transformed into a museum. Upon opening, it would present works from the Pompidou’s extensive collection of modern art just a PATH ride away from Midtown.
A 2024 opening was long projected, but that was the year New Jersey politicians pulled funding from the institution, calling it financially untenable. However, the museum sought to revive the plan with a new location and financial arrangement in September 2024.
A 2024 opening was long projected, but that was the year New Jersey politicians pulled funding from the institution, calling it financially untenable. However, the museum sought to revive the plan with a new location and financial arrangement in September 2024.
Now Open
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Credit: Alan Karchmer for Santiago Calatrava
The original St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in was a row house purchased by Greek immigrants in 1892 as a community home, opened as a church in 1916, and served as an important part of Lower Manhattan for several decades. The church was destroyed in the 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center, and would have a sad status as the only house of worship to be destroyed in the terrorist attack.
More than 20 years later, a new church opened across from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The design by Santiago Calavatra, inspired by a wealth of Byzantine influences, gives the appearance of "a lamp on a lampstand" (Matthew 5:14). It continues to function as a parish of the Archdiocese, but is also a National Shrine with a meditation/bereavement room and community space welcoming all faiths. The church was illuminated in September 2021 to honor the lives lost twenty years ago, and was listed among Galerie's most anticipated openings of 2022.
More than 20 years later, a new church opened across from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The design by Santiago Calavatra, inspired by a wealth of Byzantine influences, gives the appearance of "a lamp on a lampstand" (Matthew 5:14). It continues to function as a parish of the Archdiocese, but is also a National Shrine with a meditation/bereavement room and community space welcoming all faiths. The church was illuminated in September 2021 to honor the lives lost twenty years ago, and was listed among Galerie's most anticipated openings of 2022.
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A performing arts center was long planned as part of the master plan for redeveloping the World Trade Center site, and philanthropist Ronald Perelman jump-started construction with a $75 million gift in June 2016. The pandemic slowed things down, but the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC) opened in September 2023. The new building's facade is wrapped in translucent marble from the same Vermont quarry as the United States Supreme Court and the Jefferson Memorial, and appears bright white by day and glowing from within by night. After the inaugural season took New York City by storm with productions like Cats: The Jellicle Ball, patrons are eager to see what 2025 brings.
Performance space (PAC NYC)
The first floor, also known as the Public Level, hosts public convening spaces, a lobby stage where free concerts take place, and contemporary American restaurant Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson. The second floor is called the Performance Level and houses such functional space as dressing rooms, a green room, costume and wig storage, and a music room. The Play Level on the third floor has three flexible performance spaces, an artist rehearsal space, and a patron bar.
Metropolitan by Marcus Samuelsson
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(Mercer Labs)
Down the street from the banking hall turned Hall des Lumieres (see below), the former home of department store Century 21 (which has reopened next door) has been transformed into Mercer Labs, Museum of Art and Technology, an immersive museum created by artist Roy Nachum and developer Michael Cayre. The 15 rooms seek to redefine the relationship between art and technology with the help of immersive installations, unique listening encounters (including a 4D sound studio where guests are asked to wear a blindfold and lie on the floor), interactive games, and a museum-specific scent. It officially opened to the public on February 14, 2024.
After the Atelier des Lumieres took Paris by storm with a digital art museum in a former foundry, founder CultureSpace set its sights on 49-51 Chambers Street, a Beaux-Arts building that was originally the Emigrant Savings Bank, for its New York outpost to be called Hall des Lumieres. The museum leased space on the first level and one level below so as to make the most of the 40' ceilings and ornate detailing as a backdrop for what it calls "video powered canvases."
The premier exhibit was Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion. When an exhibit is not taking place, the space can be used as a venue for fashion shows, concerts, weddings, and other events.
The extensive audiovisual equipment is tucked out of sight, and the interiors have been modified to add a ticketing area, restrooms, coat check, and gift shop outside the designated landmarked space. Additionally, the designers installed a large curtain that can be closed during the shows and later opened to reveal the grandeur of the space. Landmarks unanimously approved the project in July 2020, and commission chair Sarah Carroll said, "The idea of allowing the public back into this space to experience this designated interior is seen as positive adaptive reuse."
The premier exhibit was Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion. When an exhibit is not taking place, the space can be used as a venue for fashion shows, concerts, weddings, and other events.
The extensive audiovisual equipment is tucked out of sight, and the interiors have been modified to add a ticketing area, restrooms, coat check, and gift shop outside the designated landmarked space. Additionally, the designers installed a large curtain that can be closed during the shows and later opened to reveal the grandeur of the space. Landmarks unanimously approved the project in July 2020, and commission chair Sarah Carroll said, "The idea of allowing the public back into this space to experience this designated interior is seen as positive adaptive reuse."
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography is the world's leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture, and home to everything from early daguerreotypes to multimedia installations. The museum and school reunited in Essex Crossing, where residents of 242 Broome Street receive a complimentary membership to the museum. The museum had only been open in its new home for six weeks when it was forced to close due to the pandemic, but cultivated a vibrant online community that allowed people to see galleries, take classes, watch lectures and events, and even submit their own photography. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Photo via Morris Adjmi Architects
On the corner of Grand and Mulberry Streets, the luxury condos at The Grand Mulberry, a seven-story building with large windows, a red brick facade, and a context-sensitive design by Morris Adjmi Architects, are sold out as of this writing. The Italian-American Museum sold its site to the condo's developers for $14.8 million at the beginning of 2017; as part of the deal, it moved into a larger space in the new building rent-free in perpetuity.
The museum has a separate Mulberry Street entrance that leads to a central atrium with a 20' ceiling. The four levels include permanent and temporary exhibitions (including artifacts from Banca Stabile, a former tenant on the site), a 50-seat auditorium, and a gift shop. It officially opened its doors on October 14, 2024.
The museum has a separate Mulberry Street entrance that leads to a central atrium with a 20' ceiling. The four levels include permanent and temporary exhibitions (including artifacts from Banca Stabile, a former tenant on the site), a 50-seat auditorium, and a gift shop. It officially opened its doors on October 14, 2024.
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Centuries before New York University announced plans for a state-of-the-art new building at 181 Mercer Street with student and faculty housing, sports and recreational facilities, and performance spaces, it was the site of the African Grove Theatre, a 300-seat space that was the first Black theatre in the country. More than 100 years later, the new, LEED Gold-certified building includes a new theatre named the African Grove Theatre and used to host ongoing NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting and Design for Stage and Film programs. theatrical performance, historical displays, and educational programming. The building also features a scale model of the original African Grove Theatre.
Rendering of 181 Mercer Street (New York University)
Credit: Michael Grimm Photography
In 2014, eyebrows were raised when the Hudson River Park Trust and the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation announced plans for a floating public park in the Hudson River off Pier 55. But after its first summer of operations in 2021, what was thought to be a far-fetched idea proved to be an appealing destination for locals and tourists alike.
Little Island's varying elevations allow for different perspectives from designated overlook areas, and house a stage and 700-seat amphitheater. Proenza Schouler held their New York Fashion Week show there in fall 2021, and the 2025 summer programming was just announced, featuring music, dance, theatre, and opera performances.
Little Island's varying elevations allow for different perspectives from designated overlook areas, and house a stage and 700-seat amphitheater. Proenza Schouler held their New York Fashion Week show there in fall 2021, and the 2025 summer programming was just announced, featuring music, dance, theatre, and opera performances.
Learn more here
In April 2022, a new rooftop park opened to the public at Pier 57, located on the Hudson River waterfront just up the road from Little Island (see above). The 80,000-square-foot park is home to new green space and seating areas, and served as an outdoor screening location for the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023.
At the time, Pier 57 was already home to a City Winery flagship wine bar/performance space (relocated from Hudson Square) and 350,000 square feet of office space for Google. It later welcomed a new “Living Room” with views of Little Island and Lower Manhattan, the Discovery Tank gallery and classroom, and Market 57, a food hall curated by the James Beard Foundation.
At the time, Pier 57 was already home to a City Winery flagship wine bar/performance space (relocated from Hudson Square) and 350,000 square feet of office space for Google. It later welcomed a new “Living Room” with views of Little Island and Lower Manhattan, the Discovery Tank gallery and classroom, and Market 57, a food hall curated by the James Beard Foundation.
Credit: Brett Beyer/Google.
Learn more here
(Pace Gallery)
In spring 2017, construction began on a new Chelsea flagship for the Pace Gallery on West 25th Street that would more than double its previous footprint. The design by Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture features a stone facade quarried from Mt. Etna, a contextually sensitive street-level presence, and a contoured white penthouse on top of the black massing.
In a 2018 interview with CityRealty, Pace Gallery Headquarters project director Matteo Fraticelli said, “We wanted to create the possibility of not only showing art on different floors, but also outdoors and indoors.” To that end, the expanded gallery features a 10,000-volume research library on the first floor, five floors of indoor galleries, and a sixth-story terrace gallery that can accommodate performances, live events, sculptural exhibitions, and even small food trucks. The interiors feature column-free galleries and a lighting concept by Isometrix Lighting Design that automatically adjusts ambient light to complement specific works.
In a 2018 interview with CityRealty, Pace Gallery Headquarters project director Matteo Fraticelli said, “We wanted to create the possibility of not only showing art on different floors, but also outdoors and indoors.” To that end, the expanded gallery features a 10,000-volume research library on the first floor, five floors of indoor galleries, and a sixth-story terrace gallery that can accommodate performances, live events, sculptural exhibitions, and even small food trucks. The interiors feature column-free galleries and a lighting concept by Isometrix Lighting Design that automatically adjusts ambient light to complement specific works.
Image via Pace Gallery
Learn more here
Rendering via Chelsea Factory
The transformation of industrial space into art galleries was instrumental in putting Chelsea on the map, and 547 West 26th Street is one such entry. The property previously hosted New York’s first taxi fleets, but would go on to house Annie Leibovitz’s photography studio in the 1990s and a contemporary dance company in the 2000s. Its latest incarnation is as Chelsea Factory, a new space for artists and stories set to usher in a more sustainable and diverse future of the arts.
A 2021 Landmarks presentation called for two distinctive exhibition halls, new restrooms, and a non-commercial kitchen. Landmarks approved the project with slight modifications in July 2021, finding that the building’s style, scale, materials, and details were consistent with the architectural and historic character of the West Chelsea Historic District. Since its opening, it has welcomed the Juilliard School's Juilliard Jazz Program and the Joyce Theater, to name but a few. However, it played its last performances in spring 2025.
A 2021 Landmarks presentation called for two distinctive exhibition halls, new restrooms, and a non-commercial kitchen. Landmarks approved the project with slight modifications in July 2021, finding that the building’s style, scale, materials, and details were consistent with the architectural and historic character of the West Chelsea Historic District. Since its opening, it has welcomed the Juilliard School's Juilliard Jazz Program and the Joyce Theater, to name but a few. However, it played its last performances in spring 2025.
Learn more here
Korean Cultural Center (CityRealty)
A few blocks east of Korea Way, the new home of the Korean Culture Center has made itself at home. The design by the Seoul-based Samoo Architects and Engineers is the winner of a 2010 competition, and features a transparent facade with illuminated sculptural figures. The project is striving for LEED certification and features a 200-seat theater below-grade, an exhibition space on the second floor, an arts and crafts center on the fourth floor, and classrooms on the fifth floor.
The Shed (Iwan Baan, courtesy of The Shed)
Situated where the High Line meets Hudson Yards, The Shed is designed to welcome established and emerging visual, musical, and performance artists. The Diller Scofidio + Renfo-designed building features two large gallery spaces, a theater, a rehearsal space, a skylit event space, an artists lab, and an adjoining plaza. The lobby is home to Cedric's, a bar helmed by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group.
The architecture was hailed as "adaptable" for its ability to move its outer shell over the plaza to create a large-scale performance space, but that word applies just as easily to the institution it houses: The "Up Close" series was developed to connect people to art from the safety of their homes during the pandemic.
More recently, The Shed's Griffin Theater was home to Stephen Sondheim's final musical, Here We Are, as well as a production of King Lear featuring Kenneth Branagh. The Shed recently hosted Luna Luna: A Forgotten Fantasy and Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City, two of this winter's most-discussed exhibitions, and will welcome Frieze New York in May.
The architecture was hailed as "adaptable" for its ability to move its outer shell over the plaza to create a large-scale performance space, but that word applies just as easily to the institution it houses: The "Up Close" series was developed to connect people to art from the safety of their homes during the pandemic.
More recently, The Shed's Griffin Theater was home to Stephen Sondheim's final musical, Here We Are, as well as a production of King Lear featuring Kenneth Branagh. The Shed recently hosted Luna Luna: A Forgotten Fantasy and Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City, two of this winter's most-discussed exhibitions, and will welcome Frieze New York in May.
Buy tickets here
(Museum of Broadway)
SIX and Mrs. Doubtfire (now closed) were not the only Broadway productions deferred by the pandemic: The Museum of Broadway, the first museum ever dedicated to Broadway’s history, was originally expected to open in 2020, but got pushed to fall 2022. Partners Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Playbill, the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, Concord Theatricals, and Goodspeed Musicals approached it with the goal of making it the ultimate theater-lover’s destination.
A map room traces the migration of the city’s theaters uptown from the Financial District to Union Square, then Herald Square, and finally Times Square. A timeline detailing the earliest Broadway shows to present-day productions features memorabilia obtained with the help of the Billy Rose Theater Division of the New York Public Library for Performing Arts; additionally, installations created by visual artists and Broadway designers take place alongside this section. Finally, a “stage door” opens into an area that details the making of a Broadway show both onstage and off. Additional components include a fully equipped rehearsal studio and a gift shop open to the public. It has opened next to the Lyceum Theater, Broadway’s oldest continually operating theater (where Oh, Mary! is now playing).
A map room traces the migration of the city’s theaters uptown from the Financial District to Union Square, then Herald Square, and finally Times Square. A timeline detailing the earliest Broadway shows to present-day productions features memorabilia obtained with the help of the Billy Rose Theater Division of the New York Public Library for Performing Arts; additionally, installations created by visual artists and Broadway designers take place alongside this section. Finally, a “stage door” opens into an area that details the making of a Broadway show both onstage and off. Additional components include a fully equipped rehearsal studio and a gift shop open to the public. It has opened next to the Lyceum Theater, Broadway’s oldest continually operating theater (where Oh, Mary! is now playing).
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James Earl Jones Theater, 2022 (Philip Romano - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122977530)
Between its long history of operations dating back to 1912, design inspired by Versailles’ Petit Trianon, and veritable galaxy of stars that have performed there, it is little wonder that the Cort Theater was declared a New York City Landmark in 1987. A restoration and expansion brings it into the 21st century, and it has been renamed in honor of celebrated actor James Earl Jones. Mr. Jones' Broadway breakthrough came at the Cort Theater in a 1958 production of Sunrise at Campobello; since then, he has won Tony Awards for his roles in The Great White Hope and Fences as well as the Tony's Lifetime Achievement Award.
With the help of Francesca Russo, theatre owner Shubert Organization’s go-to preservation architect for the past 25 years, the Landmarked building had its facade and original proscenium arch restored, its accessibility improved, its stage modernized, and its seating made more comfortable. Immediately west of the theater, the Shubert Organization tapped Kostow Greenwood Architects to design a modern, 20,000-square-foot annex set to streamline the flow of the space. This includes an elevator, new concession areas, more bathrooms, new dressing and wardrobe rooms, and more rehearsal space.
Landmarks approved the alterations and expansion in 2017, but construction did not move forward until spring 2021 and was completed in 2022. Its first show was a production of Ohio State Murders, starring Audra McDonald and marking the Broadway debut of playwright Adrienne Kennedy, and it has also hosted the Tony Award-nominated Gutenberg! The Musical. Real Women Have Curves: The Musical recently began previews there with an official opening scheduled for April 27.
With the help of Francesca Russo, theatre owner Shubert Organization’s go-to preservation architect for the past 25 years, the Landmarked building had its facade and original proscenium arch restored, its accessibility improved, its stage modernized, and its seating made more comfortable. Immediately west of the theater, the Shubert Organization tapped Kostow Greenwood Architects to design a modern, 20,000-square-foot annex set to streamline the flow of the space. This includes an elevator, new concession areas, more bathrooms, new dressing and wardrobe rooms, and more rehearsal space.
Landmarks approved the alterations and expansion in 2017, but construction did not move forward until spring 2021 and was completed in 2022. Its first show was a production of Ohio State Murders, starring Audra McDonald and marking the Broadway debut of playwright Adrienne Kennedy, and it has also hosted the Tony Award-nominated Gutenberg! The Musical. Real Women Have Curves: The Musical recently began previews there with an official opening scheduled for April 27.
TSX Broadway, Midtown West
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TSX Broadway (Mancini Duffy)
In July 2023, TSX Broadway revealed its indoor/outdoor performance stage overlooking Times Square with a surprise concert by Post Malone. Two LED doors opened to reveal the stage above Father Duffey Square, and the show was broadcast on the 18,000-square-foot billboard surrounding the stage. Artists like
K-pop star and BTS member Jungkook, Shakira, and Charli xcx have put on similar surprise concerts since then.
The stage and billboards are the most visible components of TSX, which is distinguished in the local skyline by its curved corner, stripes of LED lights between floor-to-ceiling windows on upper levels, and LED crown. Hilton's first Tempo hotel opened in the building in summer 2023, and the building also features base-level retail and Times Square's largest outdoor food and beverage terrace. Another key component is the raised and refurbished Palace Theater (see below).
Palace Theater entrance (ajay_suresh - Palace Theatre (New York City), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=154060931)
From its earliest days as a vaudeville theater, “playing the Palace” meant reaching the pinnacle of one’s entertainment career. The venue and phrase made a comeback in the 1950s, when Judy Garland held her shows there, and the Nederlander Organization purchased the theater in 1964. Since then, its Broadway productions have included Sweet Charity, La Cage aux Folles, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, Legally Blonde, and An American in Paris.
Tony and Grammy Award-winning singer Ben Platt did a residency at the Palace when it opened in spring 2024. After a very short run of Tammy Faye last winter, it is now hosting a limited engagement of Glengarry Glen Ross starring newly minted Oscar winner Kieran Culkin and Emmy Award winner Bob Odenkirk.
Tony and Grammy Award-winning singer Ben Platt did a residency at the Palace when it opened in spring 2024. After a very short run of Tammy Faye last winter, it is now hosting a limited engagement of Glengarry Glen Ross starring newly minted Oscar winner Kieran Culkin and Emmy Award winner Bob Odenkirk.
However, its most impressive act took place behind the scenes: As part of new hotel and retail tower TSX Broadway (see above), the historic theater was raised 30 feet above street level to make way for 100,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space underneath. A ring beam was placed around the theater, and 34 hydraulic jacks lifted the ring beam at a speed of about a quarter inch per hour. The process took about seven weeks and was completed in spring 2022. The theater's new marquee is up, and an interior renovation includes expanding the dressing room and backstage areas.
Theatergoers now arrive through a grand entrance and take an express escalator to the third floor. They arrive in a spacious lobby with a new bar, box office, and merchandise area. The theater includes 1,657 modern seats and double the number of restrooms it previously had. But for all the changes, the landmarked interiors were refurbished, and the grand chandelier was restored to its original location.
Theatergoers now arrive through a grand entrance and take an express escalator to the third floor. They arrive in a spacious lobby with a new bar, box office, and merchandise area. The theater includes 1,657 modern seats and double the number of restrooms it previously had. But for all the changes, the landmarked interiors were refurbished, and the grand chandelier was restored to its original location.
Theater lift, January 2022
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The Beam (Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer)
It took a few tries, but Landmarks unanimously approved a series of enhancements to 30 Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock at the end of April 2022. The observatory is already a must-see for tourists all over the world, but Commissioner Sarah Carroll said, “I think allowing for new circulation and these activities on the roof will even help support the recovery of the city.”
The unofficial centerpiece is "The Beam," a new rooftop ride on the 69th floor inspired by the iconic "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper" photograph: Visitors are seated on a beam, strapped in, lifted 12 feet above the platform, and rotated 180 degrees to face Central Park. The experience comes with a digital photo (but not, as The Architect’s Newspaper quipped, a brown bag lunch). It opened in December 2023.
Skylift (Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Tishman Speyer)
One floor up, Top of the Rock welcomed Skylift, a circular glass platform that brings visitors above the rooftop for 360-degree views, in October 2024. As the sun sets, Sky Lift's LED pixel flutes light up. Visitors arrive to a new welcome gallery detailing the history of Rockefeller Center.
(Irish Arts Center)
Since its opening in 1972, Irish Arts Center has bloomed into a mainstay of Irish theater, dance, and music. It has also outgrown the tenement it has operated out of from the start, and arranged to combine the original theater with a new building that has risen on the former site of an auto repair shop at 726 Eleventh Avenue. The new design incorporates the original brick facade and offers a contemporary new theater, a lobby and cafe, a studio classroom, and four dressing rooms.
David Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center)
When the renovation of David Geffen Hall was announced in December 2019, Lincoln Center said that construction would start in 2022, take place around the New York Philharmonic’s seasons so as to avoid disruptions, and be completed in 2024. However, with concerts curtailed and buildings shuttered due to the pandemic, construction was able to start sooner and proceed at such a pace that it was able to reopen in October 2022, or two years ahead of schedule. The 2024-2025 season is in full swing, and celebrity conductor Gustavo Dudamel will take his place as music and artistic director in 2026.
The Philharmonic’s concert hall has long been reviled for its acoustic problems, but a master acoustician was part of the renovation effort; the walls are being resurfaced to improve resonance. Additionally, in response to health and safety concerns raised by the pandemic, the project features upgraded HVAC and air filtration systems. It also features the state-of-the-art Wu Tsai Theater, an airy welcome center, the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby with comfortable seating and a digital wall, the Kenneth C. Griffin Sidewalk Studio for small-scale performances, and the Leon and Norma Hess Grand Promenade with access to the Leni and Peter May Terrace.
The Frick Collection (Nicholas Venezia)
When New York’s museums reopened after pandemic-induced closures, the Frick Collection was noticeably absent. This is because the 1914 French Louis XVI-style mansion housing the works of art was in the middle a renovation and expansion with the blessing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission ("Landmarks") to accommodate an art collection that has more than doubled since the museum opened its doors in 1935. It reopened on April 17, 2025.
The art spent years in a temporary home known as the Frick Madison, in the former space of the Whitney Museum designed by Marcel Breuer. The museum’s director said this would allow for a new perspective on the art as the expansion begins in earnest, and The New York Times described it as "an unexpectedly audacious transmutation of the city's plushest museum." The Frick Madison closed in March 2024, at which time the building was turned over to new owner Sotheby's (see below) and the art was moved back to its original home.
The art spent years in a temporary home known as the Frick Madison, in the former space of the Whitney Museum designed by Marcel Breuer. The museum’s director said this would allow for a new perspective on the art as the expansion begins in earnest, and The New York Times described it as "an unexpectedly audacious transmutation of the city's plushest museum." The Frick Madison closed in March 2024, at which time the building was turned over to new owner Sotheby's (see below) and the art was moved back to its original home.
Garden court
The Frick's second floor had long served as administrative offices, but has been transformed into ten galleries and opened to the public for the first time. Inaugural events are set to include a special commission by sculptor Vladimir Kanevsky, a week-long music festival in honor of the opening of the new Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium, and a "Vermeer's Love Letters" exhibition.
The Frick will also have a new restaurant on the second floor. Locals were caught off-guard by the Frick's apparent application for 17 bars, but Artnet clarifies that these relate only to special events and have been reduced to 14 locations that were used prior to the renovation.
The Frick will also have a new restaurant on the second floor. Locals were caught off-guard by the Frick's apparent application for 17 bars, but Artnet clarifies that these relate only to special events and have been reduced to 14 locations that were used prior to the renovation.
Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium
Gilder Center (Iwan Baan)
When the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation ("the Gilder Center") opened at the American Museum of Natural History, it fulfilled the museum's longtime dream of creating a continuous campus across four city blocks. The design by McArthur fellow Jeanne Gang was inspired by caves and caverns formed by natural forces, and incorporates a construction technique known as "shotcrete."
Atrium detail (Iwan Baan)
The Gilder Center is anchored by the four-story Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium, which has multiple openings and bridges to connect visitors physically and visually. The Allison and Roberto Mignone Hall of Gems and Minerals reopened ahead of the rest of The Gilder Center, which is also home to the three-story Louis V. Gertsner Jr. Collections Core, Susan and Peter J. Soloman Family Insectarium, the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Research Library and Learning Center, immersive art experience Invisible Worlds, and 18 classrooms for students of all ages. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in June 2019, and it opened to the public in spring 2023.
Plan your visit here
Rendering (White Cube)
Down the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, British gallery White Cube opened its first New York outpost at 1002 Madison Avenue in the Upper East Side Historic District. The new space is set across three stories in the circa-1930 bank building, and features public gallery spaces and private viewing areas alike. Landmarks approved the alterations to the entrance and windows in June 2022, and the fall 2023 opening coincided with the 30th anniversary of White Cube, which has brought artists like Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Theaster Gates, and Julie Curtiss to prominence.
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Victoria Tower, home of Victoria Theater (CityRealty)
The Victoria Theater has been a vital part of Harlem since 1917, when it was built as a vaudeville theater. Over 100 years and a massive renovation later, the theater's original lobby serves as the entrance to a Renaissance hotel built behind and atop the historic building, and the property still boasts a rich cultural component: Not only does The Victoria Restaurant host nightly jazz performances, but the third and fourth floor of the building feature two black box theaters operated by the nearby Apollo and used while it undergoes its own renovation (see above). To top it all off is Victoria Tower Residences, a collection of 191 studio through two-bedroom rentals.
Apollo Stages at The Victoria (Victoria Theater)
The Victoria Restaurant
Abolitionist Place, Downtown Brooklyn
Abolitionist Place (NYC EDC)
In the heart of Downtown Brooklyn's building boom, Willoughby Square Park was renamed Abolitionist Place in 2019 to commemorate the 19th-century abolitionist movement's ties to Brooklyn, which included stops on the Underground Railroad. The 1.15-acre green space by Hargreaves Jones includes lawn space, a children's play area, a dog run, and a water play feature.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the green space took place in May 2024. A short time later, proposed public art installations by artist Kenseth Armstead were presented to the New York City Public Design Commission for conceptual review. If all goes according to plan, installation of the artwork could begin in 2026.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the green space took place in May 2024. A short time later, proposed public art installations by artist Kenseth Armstead were presented to the New York City Public Design Commission for conceptual review. If all goes according to plan, installation of the artwork could begin in 2026.
L10 Arts and Cultural Center, Downtown Brooklyn
The new arts and cultural center will be inside the base of the mixed-use rental 300 Ashland Place (Alan Karchmer/Ten Arquitectos)
300 Ashland Place is a stone's throw from Barclays Center, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and Mark Morris Dance Group. However, the L10 Arts and Cultural Center brings a 50,000-square-foot cultural center right under its roof. Plans have been in the works since Two Trees Management bought the onetime parking lot in 2013, and it includes new gallery and performance spaces for MoCADA, three cinemas for BAM, rehearsal studios and performance space for 651 ARTS, and a new branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. An opening ceremony took place in January 2025.
MoCADA (Gregg Richards, courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library)
Brooklyn Public Library branch (Gregg Richards, courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library)
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Brooklyn Paramount Theater rendering (Brooklyn Paramount)
In March 2024, Fort Greene's historic Paramount Theater reopened as a music venue following an extensive renovation. Not only did this restore the original Baroque features and Wurlitzer organ to their original glory, but it brings a new stage, a state-of-the-art backstage facility, seven bars throughout, and a second-level balcony with exclusive members' boxes and a VIP lounge.
The renovation is the latest chapter in the Paramount Theater's nearly 100-year history and brings it almost full circle: It was built as a movie theater and music venue in 1928, and taken over by Long Island University in 1962. The university turned the building into a gym and removed the stage, but retained the latticework ceiling.
The renovation is the latest chapter in the Paramount Theater's nearly 100-year history and brings it almost full circle: It was built as a movie theater and music venue in 1928, and taken over by Long Island University in 1962. The university turned the building into a gym and removed the stage, but retained the latticework ceiling.
Rendering via PBDW Architects
In Gowanus, a 117-year-old coal-burning power plant has been designated a New York City Landmark and transformed into a new contemporary arts center. Graffiti artists dubbed it “the Batcave” and used it as a canvas after the power plant shut down in the 1950s, and the graffiti will be preserved in the new space. It will also show art from five media - metal, wood, print, ceramic, and textiles. Pritzker Prize laureates Herzog & de Meuron teamed up with local firm PBDW Architects to convert the space into galleries with The Grand Hall, an exhibition space/event space, on the top floor. In the fall of 2022, Powerhouse will debut programs for ceramics membership, community engagement, and mission-driven tenant and events rentals.
(NYC Department of Design and Construction)
The Bronx had long been the only one of the five boroughs without a permanent children's museum, but that changed at the end of 2022. The design by O’Neill McVoy Architects was inspired by psychologist Jean Piaget's Child's Conception of Space; as such, the interior spaces are designed in perspective from a child's height and distinguished by low partitions that maximize visibility for caregivers while creating a rich spatial experience for children. The main exhibition space is divided into three primary areas - Early Learner, Community Arts, and Natural Sciences - and the interiors are distinguished by the use of natural materials. It opened to the public on December 3, 2022 in what Robert Garméndiz of Bronx Community Board 4 called "an early Christmas present" to the children of the borough.
Statue of Liberty Museum via Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
Ever since the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886, it has served as a beacon of hope and inspiration to immigrants making their way to America. Over 100 years later, the Statue of Liberty Museum opened in 2019 as the home of American heirlooms and interactive exhibits alike. Separate tickets to the museum are not necessary.
Public Art Installations
Mother Cabrini, Battery Park City
Photo via Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Flickr
The Columbus Day parade did not take place in October 2020, but the city still paid tribute to a luminary of Italian descent: A statue of Mother Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants and the first American citizen to be canonized by the Catholic Church, was unveiled in Battery Park. In a speech at the ceremony, then-Governor Cuomo said, “In this complex world, may this statue serve to remind us of the principles that made us great as a country and as a people.”
Women's Rights Pioneers, Upper East Side
Photo via Emily Dombroff
On August 26, 2020, the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, Hillary Clinton spoke in Central Park at an unveiling ceremony for Meredith Bergmann’s statue of activists Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The statue on Liberty Walk is the first one of real-life women in Central Park (fictional characters may be found elsewhere). Non-profit Monumental Women was at the helm of the project and said in a statement, “It’s fitting that the first statue of real women in the park depicts women working together to fight for equality and justice, as women will continue to do until the battle is won.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Downtown Brooklyn
Rendering via Gillie and Marc
Barely a month after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death in September 2020, then-Governor Cuomo announced a commission to oversee the creation of a permanent statue of the Brooklyn-born judge. It could take some time before this statue is ready, but admirers will not have to wait that long: A bronze statues of Justice Ginsburg, originally designed as part of artist duo Gillie and Marc’s “Statues for Equality” installation, was permanently installed outside the City Point development on March 15, 2021, which would have been her 88th birthday.
Newtown Creek, Long Island City
Vicki Khuzami and Richard Khuzami
In the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, a massive mural depicting a heron, cormorant, and sunset has taken shape on the side of a new school building. The design by Federico Massa (aka Iena Cruz) stems from a contest that took place during Climate Week 2020 and aimed to highlight global climate issues through art. To that end, the design went up with environmentally friendly paint and recycled and repurposed materials to be the city's first carbon neutral street artwork.
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