Giving six new galleries of various sizes for permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as artist’s studios and spaces for education and public events, the 4,640 sq m extension has created an interior that is easy to navigate and allows for greater display of the museum’s collections.

Framed by the renovated colonnade and full-height windows, the east façade creates a welcoming link between the vast central lobby and the park beyond.

Filled with daylight, the lobby’s focal point is the central gallery for large works, which is framed by a lantern of hanging glass louvres. Acting as a filter for daylight from above, this diffuse light also passes into the surrounding smaller galleries.

As well as providing a reinvigorated place for the local community, the museum acts as a beacon from afar. Its vivid west façade of fritted glazed panels backlit with LEDs announces the revitalized project and is visible from Grand Central Parkway. Pierced by a sculptural metal entry canopy, over time, the panels will show different artistic installations along its dynamic face.