The Studio Museum in Harlem is the nexus for artists of African descent - locally, nationally and internationally - and for work that has been inspired and influenced by black culture, as well as a site for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society. It has outgrown its current location, a retrofitted 1914 office building. Cooper Robertson is serving as executive architect in collaboration with Adjaye Associates in the design of a new home for the Museum on West 125th Street.

The conceptual design incorporates a number of notable features designed to enhance the Museum’s ability to pursue its mission. On street level, a 150-seat “inverted stoop” lobby, which will be free to the public, would lead down from the sidewalk to a lower-level space that could be used as a stage for lectures or performances. Inside, a high-ceilinged central hall would allow room to install large-scale artworks. Gallery space, studio space, and indoor public space would all increase. The new building will allow the museum to continue its tradition of providing studio space for three artists in its yearlong residency while allowing it to showcase more of its 2,000-object permanent collection.

Construction is expected to start in 2018, with a completion goal of 2021.