Met Museum Breaks Ground on New Modern and Contemporary Wing
Mexican architect Frida Escobedo joined museum leadership and elected officials to celebrate “la primera piedra,” or “the first stone,” of the forthcoming Tang Wing.
On September 15, the Metropolitan Museum of Art officially marked the beginning of construction for its new Tang Wing dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The design of this 126,000-square-foot wing, located at the southwest corner of the museum's complex, was overseen by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo. Escobedo took part in a ceremony alongside Met Director Max Hollein and city officials at the museum's European Sculpture Court.
In her opening remarks, Escobedo invoked the Spanish phrase "la primera piedra" or "the first stone," recalling the four uncarved stone blocks atop the columns on The Met's Fifth Avenue facade from architect Richard Morris Hunt's original 1894 expansion plans. She reflected on how these symbolic stones represent the ongoing evolution of architecture and institutions.
The Tang Wing will expand the museum's 20th- and 21st-century art galleries by approximately 50%, adding 69,500 square feet of exhibition space. Its construction will also focus on enhancing accessibility and reducing energy consumption. Planned to open in 2030, the new wing will replace the existing Lila Acheson Wallace Wing in its position at the southwest corner of the Met's building complex.
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