Architectural Cases

The New Museum in New York City is poised to open its expanded doors on March 21, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the institution. This ambitious 5,600-square-meter addition, meticulously crafted by OMA under the direction of Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, will effectively double the museum's overall area. This enlargement aims to substantially enhance the museum's capacity for showcasing art, hosting public engagements, and supporting artist-driven projects. The inaugural weekend, March 21st and 22nd, will feature complimentary admission, inviting the public to experience a revitalized space that reimagines visitor flow, accessibility, and the museum's connection to the surrounding urban landscape.

The architectural vision for the new wing respectfully complements the existing SANAA building, completed in 2007. Instead of altering the museum's distinctive tiered silhouette, the expansion extends vertically and internally. Key enhancements include the introduction of new circulation systems, such as three elevators, an expansive atrium staircase, and a re-envisioned entrance plaza, all designed to facilitate smoother movement across different levels and improve overall accessibility. The gallery space will also be doubled, enabling a broader and more diverse range of exhibitions. Furthermore, public amenities have been upgraded and relocated to the ground floor, now featuring a more spacious lobby, an enlarged bookstore, and a full-service restaurant with its own entrance from Freeman Alley.

The grand reopening will be celebrated with a major thematic exhibition titled 'New Humans: Memories of the Future.' This extensive presentation will occupy the entire building, bringing together over 200 contributors from various fields including art, science, architecture, literature, and film. The exhibition will delve into how artists throughout history have envisioned humanity's future in response to technological, political, and biological shifts. It will feature contemporary artists like Sophia Al-Maria, Meriem Bennani, Pierre Huyghe, Wangechi Mutu, Hito Steyerl, Philippe Parreno, and Anicka Yi, alongside twentieth-century luminaries such as Francis Bacon, Hannah Höch, Salvador Dalí, H.R. Giger, Kiki Kogelnik, and El Lissitzky. Rather than presenting futurity as a fixed endpoint, the exhibition aims to portray it as a recurrent cultural projection, shaped by the anxieties and aspirations unique to each historical period.

Beyond the exhibition areas, the revamped building will host a series of long-term, site-specific art installations. These include a new facade artwork by Tschabalala Self, a monumental sculpture by Klára Hosnedlová gracing the Atrium Stair, and a public art piece by Sarah Lucas integrated into the entrance plaza. These permanent or semi-permanent additions seamlessly merge artistic creation with the museum's architectural framework, blurring the boundaries between structure and display. Lisa Phillips, the Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum, emphasized the profound significance of this expansion, stating, 'Since our inception nearly 50 years ago, the New Museum has been a sanctuary for the most innovative contemporary art and the artists who create it. Our new 120,000 square feet building on the Bowery underscores our renewed commitment to new art and fresh perspectives, and to the museum as an ever-evolving platform for bold exploration, collaboration, and experimentation.' The new edifice will be named in honor of Toby Devan Lewis, acknowledging her enduring influence on the institution.

The expansion significantly bolsters the New Museum's public programming infrastructure. New initiatives catering to families and young audiences include a Kids Activity Guide by Azikiwe Mohammed, audio tours specifically designed for younger visitors, free monthly Family Days, and a recurring art-making program for teenagers. All New York City public schools will be extended invitations for complimentary guided tours, reinforcing the museum's long-standing commitment to educational engagement within the city. OMA has also overseen the design of the New Museum's first full-service restaurant, operated by the Oberon Group with executive chef Julia Sherman. The restaurant, featuring a vegetable-centric menu, will incorporate an installation by Ian Cheng and bespoke furniture by Minjae Kim. Additionally, the New Museum Store, now twice its original size, will operate independently from ticketed areas, offering an expanded selection of artist-made objects and publications.

This architectural undertaking establishes the New Museum as a distinctive global institution, featuring the harmonious integration of two Pritzker Prize-winning practices, OMA and SANAA, engaged in a close architectural dialogue. This collaboration not only signifies a physical expansion but also a conceptual broadening, positioning the museum as a dynamic center for cultural discourse and artistic innovation. The thoughtfully designed spaces and enhanced facilities are set to redefine the visitor experience, fostering a more engaging and accessible environment for appreciating contemporary art.

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos' Villa Lago in La Moraleja, Madrid, masterfully blends modern living with its natural surroundings. Spanning 1,106 square meters, this single-family residence is a testament to the studio's commitment to creating spaces that engage intimately with the landscape. The design moves away from a singular, bulky structure, opting instead for an ascending, stepped arrangement that extends outwards, maximizing its connection with the lush greenery. This innovative approach reshapes domestic life around a series of inviting open-air spaces, reminiscent of Andreu Alfaro's sculptural works, where form appears both intentional and organically evolved. Despite its precise geometry, the building exudes an organic feel, as if it has naturally settled into the terrain, fostering a continuous dialogue between architecture and garden.

The conceptual framework of Villa Lago is rooted in timeless architectural principles, drawing inspiration from the pavilion and courtyard archetypes. The pavilion manifests as an expansive, outward-reaching system, while the courtyard is reimagined as a protected yet open-air environment. Influences from architects like Glenn Murcutt and Stéphane Beel are evident in the seamless circulation and spatial continuity throughout the home. The residence's program is thoughtfully organized across ascending levels: the lower floor houses the swimming pool and guest accommodations, directly linking to the garden; the main living areas on the middle level offer views of a nearby lake, establishing a connection with the distant horizon; and the uppermost level features private sleeping quarters within a linear volume that spans the site. Below this elevated section, a shaded terrace emerges, further blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. A central core efficiently connects the various levels, reinforcing the overarching theme of architectural harmony with the natural environment. Proportion is a guiding principle, with the Valencia-based architects meticulously adjusting widths and distances to achieve spatial relationships through measured restraint rather than elaborate embellishment.

Seamless Integration: Villa Lago's Organic Flow and Landscape Harmony

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos' Villa Lago, located in Madrid's La Moraleja district, embodies a visionary approach to residential design, where the built environment and natural landscape coalesce into a unified whole. The 1,106-square-meter home abandons conventional monolithic structures, embracing an innovative stepped and ascending form that extends gracefully outward. This design strategy not only maximizes the perimeter's interaction with the surrounding greenery but also redefines the very essence of domestic life, choreographing it around a sequence of dynamic open-air spaces. The architects' deliberate choice to create five distinct garden zones, each with its own unique character, ensures that the landscape remains an ever-present, active participant in the daily rhythm of the household. This thoughtful integration blurs the boundaries between inside and out, fostering a sense of continuous connection with nature and creating a living experience that is both expansive and deeply rooted in its context.

The architectural philosophy behind Villa Lago draws heavily from the timeless archetypes of the pavilion and the courtyard, reinterpreting them to suit contemporary living. The pavilion concept is expressed through an open, centrifugal system that radiates outward, while the courtyard is reimagined as a sheltered yet permeable space, providing both privacy and connection to the elements. The design's ascending logic dictates the functional arrangement of the home: the lower levels, featuring the swimming pool and guest rooms, establish a direct dialogue with the garden; the main living areas on the intermediate floor are strategically oriented to capture panoramic views of a nearby lake, anchoring daily activities to a broader natural vista; and the uppermost level is dedicated to private sleeping quarters, contained within a sleek, linear volume that bridges the expanse of the site. A significant feature is the expansive shaded terrace created beneath this elevated volume, enhancing the interplay of enclosed and open spaces. At the heart of this intricate composition lies a central communication core, facilitating seamless movement between floors and further emphasizing the project's dedication to continuity between its architectural form and the surrounding terrain. This meticulous calibration of spatial relationships, guided by a profound understanding of proportion, defines the home's understated elegance and organic integration.

Rethinking Space: Proportional Design and Archetypal Reinterpretation

Villa Lago by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos stands as a remarkable example of how architectural design can reinterpret classic forms to create contemporary living spaces that are profoundly connected to their environment. The project challenges the notion of a singular, compact dwelling, instead proposing an innovative, stepped composition that extends gracefully across the site. This ascending structure is meticulously crafted to maximize the interface between the interior and the verdant surroundings, essentially carving out five distinct garden areas that function as extensions of the living space. Each garden, with its unique atmosphere, becomes an integral part of the home's daily narrative, inviting residents to experience a continuous dialogue with nature. This sophisticated interplay of built form and natural landscape reflects a deliberate design choice, where every element contributes to an organic flow and a sense of effortless belonging within its Madrid setting.

The design of Villa Lago thoughtfully re-examines the architectural archetypes of the pavilion and the courtyard, infusing them with new meaning and functionality. The concept of the pavilion is transformed into an open, outwardly expanding system, while the traditional courtyard evolves into a more protected yet still airy condition, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior. The architects cite the elongated plans of Glenn Murcutt and Stéphane Beel as key influences, particularly in their nuanced handling of circulation and spatial continuity. The home's internal program is structured to align with its ascending form: the lower level, accommodating the swimming pool and guest suites, directly accesses the garden; the principal living areas on the floor above are oriented to capture expansive views of a nearby lake, integrating a distant horizon into the everyday experience; and the private sleeping areas occupy the highest level, housed within a linear volume that gracefully spans the entire site. Beneath this elevated structure, a generous shaded terrace emerges, further enhancing the dynamic relationship between enclosure and openness. A central core serves as the organizational hub, ensuring fluid movement between floors and reinforcing the overarching principle of seamless continuity between the built environment and the terrain. The core of this design is an unwavering commitment to proportion, where every width and distance is carefully calibrated to achieve spatial harmony through thoughtful restraint, rather than overt design gestures.