The National Academy of Design (NAD) - a museum, school, and artists’ association founded in 1825 - houses one of the world’s largest collections of American art. Its home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side comprises three architecturally distinct structures: a 1902 Beaux Arts townhouse, a 1915 townhouse, and a 1959 purpose-built school. We led a comprehensive renovation that transformed the historic spaces to support a dynamic, contemporary arts institution. Our design carefully balanced restoration with innovation, maintaining the character-defining elements of the buildings while introducing modern infrastructure and adaptable spatial configurations.

Redesigned public spaces included the museum lobby with a ceiling encribed with the names of NAD academicians, ground floor museum and faculty galleries, a school assembly hall seating 200, and a school lobby and exhibition space. Galleries on the 2nd and 4th floors received new art-hanging walls and lighting, designed to support a flexible curatorial program while retaining their historic character and domestic scale. The exteriors of the buildings were restored and enhanced with new banners, signage, and lighting to proclaim the newly revitalized institution.

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