Prime Highlights:

• The Frick Collection in Manhattan reopens on April 17, 2025, following a full redesign by Selldorf Architects.
• The redesign adds 30% more exhibition, public space, and conservation of the building’s historic integrity.

Key Facts:

• The overhaul adds 10% more space, and has 196,000 square feet.
• Among its new features is the 220-seat Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium.

Key Background:

Frick Collection, a 1935 institution, inhabits late industrialist Henry Clay Frick’s former mansion within New York City’s Upper East Side. Perhaps best known for its homey and welcoming mood and priceless set of Old Master paintings, sculpture from Europe, and decorative art, the museum is a mine of history and culture that has yet to serve out its cache for the following generations. The museum has been heavily refurbished throughout the years in order to accommodate the growing collection as well as changing visitor demands. The restoration of 2025, however, is most comprehensive to date since the museum’s opening.

Since 2016, the restoration was undertaken by executive architect Selldorf Architects and Beyer Blinder Belle. The intent of the design was to enhance the visitor experience without losing the historic integrity of the Frick. Some of the key intentions included additional gallery space, greater accessibility, and the integration of modern amenities without sacrificing the specificity of the institution.

The most extreme of these is the opening onto the second floor, which was originally a family-only private space for the Frick family anyway. The galleries were reorganized as galleries and also incorporated an additional 30% of exhibit space. Restoration has also included a new special exhibitions gallery, a freestanding education center, and a state-of-the-art technology-equipped auditorium. They also mention some of the infrastructure being refurbished so that it becomes energy efficient and retaining the collection in the long term.

The project has welcomed broad architectural and art communities with open arms. Annabelle Selldorf’s practice has set the stage for specifically welcoming the elegance of conservativism to include modern elements into the Frick’s existing collection of buildings. The reopening will certainly bring new life to the institution, welcoming repeat customers as well as newcomers in ratios equal to the newly restored facilities of the Frick.