Plans for the new Princeton University Art Museum were announced in 2018, so it was very exciting to get a first look last week at what the bold and welcoming new Museum building will look like. The new building will serve not only as a welcoming gateway for visitors from around the world, but also a dynamic center for research and teaching. As the architect designing the plans, Sir David Adjaye, described it, “The reconstruction of the Art Museum is conceived as a campus within the campus.”

Located on the same site as the current Museum, the new three-story building will feature seven primary interlocked pavilions containing many of the building’s new galleries. “Lenses” between the pavilions will act as intimate viewing and reading rooms that afford views of campus. The new building will also include a Grand Hall for lectures, performances, and events; numerous classroom spaces and two “creativity labs”; and a rooftop café. (Read more about the plans in Town Topics and the Princeton Alumni Weekly.)

Construction of the new Museum building is slated to begin early next year, with the opening anticipated in late 2024. This is just one of the many construction projects across campus that are planned or already underway. Construction on two new residential colleges, located south of Poe Field and east of Elm Drive, began earlier this year.

While the campus continues to evolve, its guiding principle remains the same: To provide an integrated environment for teaching, living, learning and research.

Stay safe and healthy.