The Metropolitan Museum of Art broke ground on September 1 for the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu‑Tang Wing, a five‑story expansion by architect Frida Escobedo slated to open in 2030. The addition will provide 69,500 sq ft of exhibition space — nearly 50% more than the current modern wing — plus about 18,500 sq ft of outdoor terraces and expanded viewing areas. The project includes accessibility and circulation upgrades and is backed by $670 million in fundraising. Modern and contemporary works will remain on display elsewhere in the museum during construction.
The Met Breaks Ground on New Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu‑Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art
Photograph: Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has broken ground on a major redesign of its modern and contemporary art wing. Announced on September 1, the project — named the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu‑Tang Wing — will add larger galleries, expanded terraces and year‑round skyline views to the Met's Fifth Avenue building, with an expected opening in 2030.
Design and Space
Designed by Mexico City–born architect Frida Escobedo, the five‑story wing will replace the museum's current modern‑art wing while remaining within the existing building footprint. Escobedo is the first woman to design a wing in The Met's 156‑year history.
The new wing will offer 69,500 square feet of exhibition space — nearly 50% more than the present modern wing — with gallery ceiling heights ranging from roughly 11 to 22 feet to accommodate everything from intimate works to large‑scale installations. Approximately 18,500 square feet of outdoor terrace space will span two upper floors, including an expanded fourth‑floor home for the Cantor Roof Garden and a fifth‑floor café.
Architecture and Visitor Experience
Escobedo’s concept features a limestone lattice facade with stepped‑back upper floors so the addition sits beneath The Met’s Fifth Avenue elevation. Large windows and indoor viewing areas on the upper levels will provide views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline even when rooftop conditions are poor. The design emphasizes giving modern and contemporary works room to breathe and making it easier to encounter 20th‑ and 21st‑century art alongside the museum’s historical collections.
“The Met's new wing will transform how we present 20th‑ and 21st‑century art, expanding our galleries and connecting our modern and contemporary art collection more closely to the thousands of years of art housed within the Museum,” director and CEO Max Hollein said in the museum's announcement.
Accessibility, Circulation and Funding
The renovation includes improved accessibility and circulation: new elevators, ramps and clearer pedestrian routes between wings. The Met reports it has raised $670 million to fund construction and part of an endowment to operate the new wing.
What To Expect During Construction
With completion expected in 2030, visitors will wait several years for the new rooftop terraces and galleries. In the meantime, the museum says modern and contemporary works will remain on view throughout the building, with rotating installations and rehangs planned during construction to keep the collection accessible.
Why it matters: The project represents a major investment in the presentation of 20th‑ and 21st‑century art at one of the world’s leading encyclopedic museums and marks a notable milestone in The Met’s history with Escobedo as the first woman architect to design a wing.
Help us improve.
