Monday, 15 November 2004 | Levent OZLER
MoMA Back in Manhattan
Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art Celebrates 75th Anniversary And Nearly Doubles Its Size
November 2004 (Newstream) -- The Museum of Modern Art reopens in Midtown Manhattan on November 20, 2004 in a renovated and expanded new building designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi. The reinstallation of its preeminent collection of modern and contemporary art will now be on view to the public in an elegant new environment. The reopening coincides with MoMA's 75th anniversary and marks the most extensive rebuilding and renovation project in the Museum's history. The new museum nearly doubles the capacity of its former home with 630 thousand square feet of new and renovated space on six floors. MoMA celebrates its birthday by offering free admission and extended hours on opening day, thanks to lead sponsor JPMorgan Chase.
The expanded museum now allows for an enhanced presentation of its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. Taniguchi worked with curators for several years to design architecturally distinctive galleries that tell the story of modern art in a new context. The building features galleries clustered around a soaring 110-foot tall atrium where icons of modern art such as Monet's Water Lilies and Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk have been installed. The heart of the new museum is the expanded and restored Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden that can be seen from many of the galleries and remains a focal point of MoMA.
Facts About the New MoMA:
Total gallery space increased from 85,000 to 125,000 square feet.
12,400 square foot lobby connects West 53rd and 54th streets
Second floor houses first dedicated gallery spaces designed for contemporary art and moving-image and sound works
Total cost of construction - $425 million
Three retail shops, new fine dining restaurant (The Modern), casual dining (The Bar Room) and two cafes, all by Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality Group
Lead sponsor of reinstallation of collection: JPMorgan Chase while additional sponsor Target is supporting admission-free Target Free Friday Nights.
For more information about the new MoMA, visit www.moma.org/press.
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