Studio Museum in Harlem Sets Fall 2025 Opening for New Building
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The Studio Museum in Harlem has officially announced that its highly anticipated new building will open to the public on November 15th, marking a historic milestone for the renowned institution dedicated to artists of African descent.
The 82,000-square-foot facility, designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson as executive architect, will be the first building created expressly for the museum since its founding in 1968. The new structure will more than double exhibition space and increase public areas by nearly 70 percent.
Key features of the new building include:
- Enhanced gallery spaces visible from the street
- Artist-in-residence studios
- Theater and education center
- Rooftop terrace designed by Harlem-based Studio Zewde
- Café and expanded public amenities
The museum will inaugurate the building with a comprehensive retrospective of Tom Lloyd (1929–1996), the artist whose solo exhibition "Electronic Refractions II" opened the original Studio Museum in 1968. This will be Lloyd's first solo exhibition in over 50 years.
The Studio Museum has successfully raised over $280 million for the project through its "Creating Space" capital campaign, surpassing its original $250 million goal. The Ford Foundation recently announced a $10 million endowment to permanently fund the director and chief curator position.
Located at 144 West 125th Street in Harlem, the new building features a distinctive "reverse stoop" design concept that emphasizes openness and community engagement, staying true to the museum's role as a cultural anchor in the neighborhood.
