56PREVIOUS PAGE: DAVID THIBEL. THIS PAGE: COURTESY MOMASECTION Bloomberg Pursuits Month 00, 2019T
he Museum of Modern Art in New York has some of the
greatest masterpieces on the planet. Until recently, though,
its building wasn’t up to that same standard. Setting aside
the 20-minute waits on weekends to buy tickets, no matter
how many people were inside, it felt like a crowd. Trying to get in front
of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night or Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup
Cans was more about sharp elbows than art appreciation.
That’s set to change on Oct. 21, when the museum reopens after
being shuttered for a four-month, $450 million renovation and expansion designed
by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler. “This project allows us to
rethink the experience that our visitors have when they come to the museum,” says
Sarah Suzuki, a MoMA curator of drawings and prints who’s spent the last two years
coordinating the renovation. “That has both a physical manifestation—in the archi-
tecture and the way that people move through spaces—and a different approach to
a visitor experience.”
The lobby has been redesigned with human flow in mind. The ticket desk has been
moved and a lounge area added. There are new elevators and a separate staircase to
improve circulation, and 40,000 square feet of gallery space have been built, both
inside the new Jean Nouvel skyscraper next door and in the area where the American
Folk Art Museum used to be. Overall, the museum’s exhibition space increases 30%.
Historically, MoMA’s permanent collection on its second, fourth, and fifth floors
was grouped by categories—painting and sculpture, drawings and prints, photogra-
phy, architecture, design, and film with little overlap. Now categories will be inte-
grated. Just as important, art from the museum’s storage will regularly come and go,
which ultimately allows much more to be seen. “The collection will not be perma-
nent but one that’s constantly in motion,” Suzuki says. “We’ve committed to rotat-
ing a third of the collection floors every six months.”
Before anyone gets up in arms about their favorite paintings disappearing from
view, “none of us got into this business to break hearts,” she says. “We actually have
a relatively small list of things that we know are at the top of the must-sees.” Those—
Starry Night included—will stay up. “But,” Suzuki adds, “it will have new neighbors,
and it might not be in the same place you saw it last time. We’re trying to make
the visitor experience as rich as possible.”Space for
Growth
“MODERN MAHARAJAH:
A PATRON OF THE 1930S”
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris,
Sept. 26–Jan. 12The Maharajah of Indore (1908–1961) was
famous for being elegant, cosmopolitan,
and very rich. After studying at the
University of Oxford, he was exposed
to modernists in Paris and London
before acceding to his father’s throne in- Almost immediately, he set about
constructing an au courant palace in
India called Manik Bagh. Designers and
artists including Eileen Gray furnished the
interiors, from which some 500 objects will
be on view.
“RICHARD GERSTL:
INSPIRATION—LEGACY”
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Sept. 27–Jan. 20Before Richard Gerstl committed suicideFrom top: María Freire’s Untitled, 1954, from
MoMA’s collection; a cross-section of MoMA’s new
gallery spaceMUSEUMS
56
PREVIOUS PAGE: DAVID THIBEL. THIS PAGE: COURTESY MOMAT
heMuseumofModernArtinNewYorkhassomeofthe
greatestmasterpiecesontheplanet.Untilrecently,though,
itsbuildingwasn’tuptothatsamestandard.Settingaside
the20-minutewaitsonweekendstobuytickets,nomatter
howmanypeoplewereinside,it feltlikea crowd.Tryingtogetinfront
ofVincentvanGogh’sStarryNightorAndyWarhol’sCampbell’sSoup
Canswasmoreaboutsharpelbowsthanartappreciation.
That’ssettochangeonOct.21,whenthemuseumreopensafter
beingshutteredfora four-month,$450millionrenovationandexpansiondesigned
byDillerScofidio+ RenfroincollaborationwithGensler.“Thisprojectallowsusto
rethinktheexperiencethatourvisitorshavewhentheycometothemuseum,”says
SarahSuzuki,a MoMAcuratorofdrawingsandprintswho’sspentthelasttwoyears
coordinatingtherenovation.“Thathasbotha physicalmanifestation—inthearchi-
tectureandthewaythatpeoplemovethroughspaces—anda differentapproachto
a visitorexperience.”
Thelobbyhasbeenredesignedwithhumanflowinmind.Theticketdeskhasbeen
movedanda loungeareaadded.Therearenewelevatorsanda separatestaircaseto
improvecirculation,and40,000square feet of gallery space have been built, both
inside the new Jean Nouvel skyscraper next door and in the area where the American
Folk Art Museum used to be. Overall, the museum’s exhibition space increases 30%.
Historically, MoMA’s permanent collection on its second, fourth, and fifth floors
was grouped by categories—painting and sculpture, drawings and prints, photogra-
phy, architecture, design, and film with little overlap. Now categories will be inte-
grated. Just as important, art from the museum’s storage will regularly come and go,
which ultimately allows much more to be seen. “The collection will not be perma-
nent but one that’s constantly in motion,” Suzuki says. “We’ve committed to rotat-
ing a third of the collection floors every six months.”
Before anyone gets up in arms about their favorite paintings disappearing from
view, “none of us got into this business to break hearts,” she says. “We actually have
a relatively small list of things that we know are at the top of the must-sees.” Those—
Starry Night included—will stay up. “But,” Suzuki adds, “it will have new neighbors,
and it might not be in the same place you saw it last time. We’re trying to make
the visitor experience as rich as possible.”Space for
Growth
“MODERN MAHARAJAH:
APATRONOFTHE1930S”
MuséedesArtsDécoratifs,Paris,
Sept.26–Jan. 12The Maharajah of Indore (1908–1961) was
famous for being elegant, cosmopolitan,
and very rich. After studying at the
University of Oxford, he was exposed
to modernists in Paris and London
before acceding to his father’s throne in- Almost immediately, he set about
constructing an au courant palace in
India called Manik Bagh. Designers and
artists including Eileen Gray furnished the
interiors, from which some 500 objects will
be on view.
“RICHARDGERSTL:
INSPIRATION—LEGACY”
LeopoldMuseum,Vienna,Sept.27–Jan. 20Before Richard Gerstl committed suicideFromtop:MaríaFreire’sUntitled, 1954,from
MoMA’scollection; a cross-section of MoMA’s new
galleryspaceMUSEUMS