KSS Completes Renovation at the Newark Museum of Art

KSS Architects recently completed a renovation of the Learning and Engagement Center at the Newark Museum of Art (NMOA). Originally designed by Michael Graves in 1990, the center, located in the building’s South Wing, serves as a venue for events, studios, and classrooms. Completion of the Learning and Engagement Center builds on NMOA’s mission of providing dynamic spaces to its campus, a phased approach that includes the development of new public art and green space, a new progressive gallery, an outdoor sculpture garden, and Museum Parc, neighboring mixed-use residential and retail buildings developed by LMXD, MSquared, and MCI Collective.

“The Learning and Engagement Center is the gateway to the arts campus, strengthening the connection between the Newark Museum of Art and the City of Newark as an inclusive cultural anchor,” says Jason Chmura, AIA, LEED, AP, Partner at KSS Architects. “The renovation, to open up and transform learning spaces on upper and lower floors of the building, is another accomplishment in developing NMOA’s campus into a true destination for community and educational services, gatherings, and engagement.”

The Learning and Engagement Center renovation fosters a more inclusive public space that ensures access to art for all community members. The renovation encompassed approximately 6,000 square feet of interior public spaces, striking a perfect balance between function and design. KSS focused on bold, simple moves with a big impact, strategically removing physical barriers, including portions of walls and stairwells, to create open, airy, and welcoming spaces that strengthen the museum’s identity and mission through community engagement. The redesigned learning engagement center invites visitors in, while improved vertical access now connects previously hidden and hard-to-reach educational spaces, including classrooms, the auditorium, gallery, and multi-use event spaces, allowing all community members to explore, enjoy, and be inspired.

“Completing the South Wing renovation is a major move for us, it’s a game-changer in making the museum a truly welcoming and accessible space for the whole community,” said Shirley Thomas Ward, Deputy Director, Learning & Engagement, The Newark Museum of Art. “Our museum has always been a champion of powerful art and stories, and now we’ve added a bold, vibrant space where our visitors can come together, whether to experience the art, learn something new, or just connect with one another.”

Together with Phelps Construction and AKF Group, a member of WSP, KSS Architects’ renovation of the Learning and Engagement Center began in January 2025 to coincide with the start of Museum Parc construction. LMXD, MSquared, and MCI Collective are developing and will own the Museum Parc, which will deliver 250 mixed-income rental apartments across two structures with more than 2,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Construction on those buildings is expected to be completed by 2027.