Opening Date Announced For The Met's New Wing

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After a lengthy renovation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing — which houses the museum's Africa, Ancient Americas, and Oceania collections — will reopen to the public on May 31, the Met said.

The wing was first closed in 2021 for a complete overhaul and has undergone more than $70 million in physical changes and technological upgrades, with the help of international researchers and art experts, according to the Met.

The new wing, designed by WHY Architecture in collaboration with the Met's design department and Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects LLP, now features a new, state-of-the-art sloped glass wall that safely filters sunlight into the space and faces Central Park.

In the new wing, there is also a specially engineered gallery for light-sensitive Andean textiles, which will be the first of its kind in the United States, museum administrators said.

The new galleries also include digital features and new wall text to add context to the collection, and extra space allowing artworks to be displayed in new configurations.

"The complete renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reflects The Met's profound commitment to—and deep expertise—in caring for and expanding understandings of the works in the Museum's collection," Max Hollein, The Met's director and CEO, said.

Now, the space will feature more than 1,800 works spanning five continents and hundreds of cultures.

The new wing will feature three distinct collection areas for Africa, Oceania, and Ancient Americas, with design elements that specifically reference the architectural influences of each region.

"When the wing first opened in 1982, it brought a much broader perspective on global art history to The Met, and this thoughtful and innovative reimagining reflects our ambition to continually expand," Hollein said.

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