The Metropolitan Museum of Art will open 12,000 square feet of new gallery space next to the Great Hall in May 2026, designed by Peterson Rich Office and named the Condé M. Nast Galleries after a major gift. The space debuts with The Costume Institute's spring exhibition, 'Costume Art', which pairs fashion pieces with the museum's wider collections to examine the dressed body. PRO will also lead a second phase to redesign the Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street entrance—replacing the street-level entry with retail, a restaurant, and a new stair to improve visitor flow. The exhibition runs from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027.
The Met to Open the Condé M. Nast Galleries — 12,000 sq ft of New Exhibition Space Next to the Great Hall (May 2026)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will open 12,000 square feet of new gallery space next to the Great Hall in May 2026, designed by Peterson Rich Office and named the Condé M. Nast Galleries after a major gift. The space debuts with The Costume Institute's spring exhibition, 'Costume Art', which pairs fashion pieces with the museum's wider collections to examine the dressed body. PRO will also lead a second phase to redesign the Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street entrance—replacing the street-level entry with retail, a restaurant, and a new stair to improve visitor flow. The exhibition runs from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027.
02:33 AM, 11/19/2025Culture
The Met Expands: New Condé M. Nast Galleries Debut in May 2026
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will open 12,000 square feet of new gallery space adjacent to its iconic Great Hall in May 2026. The new wing, designed by New York architecture studio Peterson Rich Office (PRO), will be named the Condé M. Nast Galleries in recognition of a major philanthropic gift from Condé Nast.
The space will launch with The Costume Institute's spring exhibition, 'Costume Art', an exploration of the dressed body that pairs garments from the Institute with objects drawn from the museum's broader collections. The presentation will emphasize fashion as a form of artistic expression and probe how clothing intersects with cultural and art-historical narratives.
Max Hollein, Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, said the new galleries underscore the museum's commitment to presenting fashion as an art form and to investing in long-term gallery improvements that will benefit visitors for generations.
Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, described the opening as a pivotal moment for the department, highlighting fashion's growing recognition within both art history and contemporary culture.
Two-Phase Project and Entrance Reconfiguration
The Condé M. Nast Galleries represent the first of two phases led by PRO. The firm is also reimagining the museum's Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street entrance to improve visitor circulation and experience. The current street-level entry will be transformed to include new retail space, a restaurant, and a stairwell that leads down into the Great Hall, part of a broader strategy to streamline foot traffic and modernize the visitor arrival sequence.
Nathan Rich of Peterson Rich Office called the commission a dream assignment and noted the cultural significance of working within one of New York City's most recognized interiors.
The Costume Institute exhibition 'Costume Art' opens to the public on May 10, 2026, and will remain on view through January 10, 2027.