Brooklyn-based architecture studio Peterson Rich Office has completed the redesign of five gallery spaces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, known as the Condé M Nast Galleries. The project transformed 12,000 square feet of a former courtyard into gallery and auxiliary rooms, revealing historic brickwork and facades from the 19th-century buildings by architects Richard Morris Hunt, Arthur Lyman Tuckerman, and Calvert Vaux. The spaces include the Orientation Gallery, High Gallery, Low Gallery, and Finale Gallery, each blending contemporary design with exposed historic materials. The first exhibition in the High Gallery is the Costume Art show, timed to coincide with the annual Met Gala.
This renovation matters because it physically manifests the Met's layered architectural history, creating a dialogue between past and present that enhances the visitor experience. By peeling back plaster to reveal original exteriors now turned interior walls, Peterson Rich Office emphasizes the museum's evolution over nearly 150 years. The project also supports the Met's high-profile annual gala exhibition, linking architectural innovation with major cultural events that draw global attention to the institution.