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Whitney Selects Architect for Expansion

NEW YORK CITY-One of Manhattan's leading cultural institutions is getting a rehab as the Whitney Museum of American Art has hired noted architect Renzo Piano to head up an expansion effort.

By Barbara Jarvie | Updated on June 17, 2004

NEW YORK CITY-The Whitney Museum of American Art will undergo an expansion after all. While Whitney representatives are keeping mum on the precise expansion details, last year the museum changed plans for a $200 million expansion effort. This time around, the Board of Trustees has appointed Renzo Piano Building Workshop to design the effort it feels will “help the Whitney better serve its audiences and address a critical need for space for the permanent collection, special exhibitions and educational programs.” Because of its limited space situation, the museum has been able to display less than 2% of its current holdings.

The scope of Piano’s work will involve the creation of new galleries, educational and public spaces within the existing Whitney properties as well as the improvement of the visitor experience. The Whitney’s current buildings include the Marcel Breuer building, four storefront brownstone buildings on Madison Avenue and two townhouse office buildings on East 74th Street.

Also part of the expansion will be increased space for educational programs, including the creation of its first dedicated auditorium and a study center for works on paper. The project will also enable the Museum to consolidate its staff. In recent years, the Museum’s collection has grown to more than 14,000 works of art and the limited gallery space has also inhibited a special exhibition program that in the past five had 18 exhibitions traveling to 46 museums in 35 cities.

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