Chipperfield Selected for Met Expansion

Chipperfield's commission could also include adjacent galleries for the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, and it will most likely involve the deomition of the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing, according to the New York Times. The expanded galleries in the museum's southwest corner may also incorporate a new entrance to the museum directly from Central Park; entry now is from Fifth Avenue and the David H. Koch Plaza, completed last year per a design by landscape architect Laurie Olin.

Chipperfield's selection came after a year-long research and selection process, according to the museum's announcement; it is unclear which other architects were being considered. It is also unclear what the design will look like, but we do know "the project will increase gallery space for the collection, double the size of the popular Roof Garden, and create accessible on-site storage," per a statement from Chipperfield's office.

The Met's expansion will take place as the museum extends its programming into the nearby Marcel Breuer-designed Whitney Museum of American Art (the Whitney will be opening its Renzo Piano-designed building next to the High Line in May 2015). The Southwest Wing is Chipperfield's fifth project in the United States, following buildings in Iowa, Alaska, St. Louis, Missouri, and most recently the New York flagship for Valentino, completed last year and located a few miles south of the Met on Fifth Avenue.