On the morning of 17 April, The Frick Collection officially ushered in a new chapter of its history with its public reopening, marking the conclusion of the multi-year renovation and enhancement of its historic Fifth Avenue home. Designed by Selldorf Architects, with executive architect Beyer Blinder Belle, the project was developed to honor the Frick’s historic legacy and character while addressing critical infrastructure and operational needs.
Marking the most comprehensive upgrade to the institution since its opening in 1935, the $220 million project has restored the museum’s historic first-floor galleries and created a new suite of galleries on the second floor of the original Frick mansion, 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 the new Ronald S. Lauder Exhibition Galleries on the museum’s first floor, the Frick’s first dedicated education rooms, and the new 218-seat Stephen A. Schwarzman Auditorium.
Second-floor landing, The Frick Collection, New York, photo: Joseph Coscia Jr.
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—ensure the Frick’s vibrancy for decades to come. The adjoining Frick Art Research Library and its refurbished reading rooms reopen concurrently with the museum, with new entry points that enable a seamless integration of the institution’s two branches.
Now open five days a week (and expanding to six days a week on 23 June), the Frick invites visitors to experience its collection anew, with 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 the museum’s new first-floor Ronald S. Lauder Exhibition Galleries debut with Vermeer’s Love Letters, which continues the Frick’s tradition of focused presentations that reexamine masterpieces from the permanent collection.