The Frick Collection New York to reopen April 17, 2025

Designed by Selldorf Architects, with executive architect Beyer Blinder Belle, the project was developed to honor the historic legacy and character of the Frick while addressing critical infrastructure and operational needs.

Marking the most comprehensive upgrade to the institution since its opening in 1935, the project has restored the Frick’s historic first-floor galleries and created a new suite of galleries on the second floor of the original Frick family home, welcoming the public to experience these spaces for the first time. Through the repurposing of existing space and a modest addition, the renovation and enhancement significantly expands exhibition and programmatic spaces, including new special exhibition galleries on the museum’s first floor, the Frick’s first dedicated education rooms, and a new 220-seat auditorium. The project also included the restoration of the 70th Street Garden, now visible from multiple new vantage points throughout the building. Major infrastructure upgrades, improvements to overall accessibility, and new public amenities and back-of-house facilities—notable among them, the creation of advanced art and library conservation facilities—will ensure the Frick’s vibrancy for decades to come. The Frick Art Research Library and its refurbished reading rooms will reopen concurrently with the museum, with new entry points that enable a seamless integration of the institution’s two branches.

The reopening of the Frick invites visitors to experience the museum’s collection anew, with its iconic masterworks reinstalled in restored galleries on the first floor and smaller-scale paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects on view throughout its newly opened second floor. In addition, the Frick’s inaugural season features a slate of special installations and public programs, including a special commission of porcelain flowers by sculptor Vladimir Kanevsky, a presentation that pays homage to the floral arrangements made for the Frick’s original opening in 1935. In late April, the Frick will inaugurate the Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium with a music festival featuring both classical and contemporary works. And, in June, the museum’s new first-floor special exhibition galleries will debut with Vermeer’s Love Letters, which continues the Frick’s tradition of focused presentations that re-examine masterworks from the collection.

“We are excited to welcome visitors to experience a revitalized Frick Collection and to enjoy all that makes the Frick such a unique institution within the cultural landscape of New York City,” stated Ian Wardropper, the Frick’s Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, who shepherded the project through to completion. “Intimate encounters with iconic works of art remain a cornerstone of the Frick experience. Visitors will now be able to experience even more of our collection and programs thanks to the many architects, preservation experts, curators, artisans, and innumerable museum and library staff who have collaborated to restore the original mansion while also creating new galleries, program spaces, and public amenities. We are especially honored and gratified by the extraordinarily generous support of donors who have helped to make this renovation and enhancement project a reality.”

Added Elizabeth M. Eveillard, Chair of the Board of Trustees, “The Frick’s reopening is an invitation to all New Yorkers and art lovers from around the world to discover—or rediscover—incredible works of art from our permanent collection, displayed in the painstakingly restored setting of our historic home. Following this long-awaited unveiling, we look forward to giving our audiences the opportunity to experience several newly constructed spaces through the revitalization of signature Frick offerings, namely a classical concert series and a focused presentation featuring Vermeer’s beloved Mistress and Maid.”

“It has been an honor and privilege to work on the Frick renovation and enhancement project,” stated Annabelle Selldorf, principal of Selldorf Architects. “We have worked carefully to develop an architectural vocabulary for the project that is continuous with the existing historic fabric yet employs distinct but appropriate contemporary detailing in the façades and interiors. I believe that this careful blending of old and new will make people feel even more welcome as they return to, or discover for the first time, the Frick, its collection, and its beautiful setting.”