Location
231 Bowery
Completion
2025
Client
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Square Footage
50,000 SF
Design Architect
OMA
Executive Architect
Cooper Robertson
New Museum Expansion
Sciame is the Construction Manager responsible for the construction of the New Museum’s first and second buildings. The museum acquired an adjacent property at 231 Bowery to support its future use and the expansion of its programs. The new building will significantly enhance the range of activities, contextual presentations, educational and discursive initiatives, and will support expanded research and artist residencies. Extensive site logistics planning and coordination with the museum’s ongoing operations will ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding neighborhood and the museum’s existing functions during construction.
This state-of-the-art facility, designed to achieve sustainability goals, will integrate cutting-edge building systems and energy-efficient technologies. The construction scope includes intricate structural work to ensure seamless connectivity between the existing and new buildings, featuring enhanced vertical circulation through new elevators and stairways. The project also incorporates advanced MEP systems to optimize climate control for art conservation and visitors.
The new facility will improve circulation between the old and new buildings, enhance social spaces and public amenities, and create multiple opportunities for discovery and engagement. Doubling the museum’s footprint, the project will provide twice as much exhibition space, including flexible gallery areas that can accommodate a wide range of installations and performances. The improved visitor experience will include additional exhibitions, upgraded accessibility, and new interactive spaces for learning and community programs.
What a night! A huge thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday to represent Team Sciame at the 2025 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park!
Despite the weather, the Sciame team showed up strong, lacing up and powering through the 3½-mile course!
We’re proud of the determination, camaraderie, and good humor everyone brought to a soggy evening in the park.
#jpmcc
New York Construction’s Contractor of the Year – Looking back, 2006 was a standout year for Sciame Construction. We were honored as Contractor of the Year, a testament to our growing reputation for delivering some of New York City’s most architecturally daring and culturally significant projects.
In April 2006, Sciame Construction completed the Morgan Library and Museum Expansion, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and BBB Architects. The project was led by then EVP/Division Head Joseph Mizzi, who began his career at Sciame 11 years earlier in 1995.
The following month, our founder, Frank Sciame, passed the torch of day-to-day leadership by promoting Joseph Mizzi to President of Sciame Construction, while continuing to serve as Chairman and CEO.
This leadership transition helped shape the next chapter of our story, and was memorialized in the cover photo of New York Construction, and the firm’s Contractor of the Year honor.
Thanks a Half-Billion! – At Sciame Construction, we proudly led the effort to reimagine the WTC Memorial and Museum, a project of national significance. Frank Sciame, our founder, was tasked with creating a design that honored the original vision while staying within a $500 million budget. Working closely with Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Pataki, and a team of 13 advisers, including notable figures like Jack Rudin and Robert Douglass, we developed cost-effective design options, ultimately reducing the budget from nearly $1 billion to $510 million. Our approach preserved key elements like the voids, waterfalls, and pools while optimizing infrastructure and resizing the museum. Sciame’s commitment to excellence ensured a memorial that balances beauty, dignity, and sustainability.
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center – Though relatively small in size, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center was a technically complex project successfully constructed and delivered by Sciame Construction. This groundbreaking laboratory made an outsized impact on global health. It was here that Dr. David Ho pioneered the development of the revolutionary “AIDS cocktail,” a combination therapy that transformed HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition. His groundbreaking work earned him the title of TIME magazine’s Man of the Year, underscoring the center’s profound contribution to the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
