New Museum

The New Museum, one of New York’s premier contemporary art institutions, approached a major milestone: creating a new permanent home in an architecturally significant facility. As the first new art museum ever built from the ground up below 14th Street, the 60,000 square foot building in the Bowery featured plans for an iconic and technically challenging design by SANAA with open and light-filled gallery spaces, a theater, learning center, bookstore, café, event venue, and administrative offices. Intended as a new hub for contemporary art, the museum provides a welcoming environment for artists, students, residents, and travelers alike.

Role + Responsibilities

When the project encountered budget challenges, Zubatkin and Plaza Construction were brought in to realign development costs to the overall budget. Following the successful completion of this initial assignment, the New Museum retained the Zubatkin team to oversee the completion of the design and subsequent construction of the facility. Zubatkin was also responsible for managing the project financial controls, including the coordination of funding from the City of New York.

The project represents a key milestone in the New Museum’s history and had a transformative, positive impact on advancing the organization’s mission. Since opening, the New Museum has seen visitorship more than triple in its new location, where it exemplifies the positive social and economic impact a cultural institution can bring to the surrounding neighborhood.

Related Projects

  • Client New Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Location New York, NY
  • Size

    60,000 sf

  • Architect
    • SANAA (Design Architect)
    • Gensler (Executive Architect)
  • Construction Manager
    • Sciame Construction

Pritzker Architecture Prize Awarded to SANAA, 2010

Cultural Project of the Year, New York Construction News, 2007