New renderings and construction updates alongside the museum's curatorial vision have been released for the new Herzog & de Meuron-designed building, Memphis Art Museum, which remains rooted in the history, culture, and community of Memphis in Mississippi, Tennessee, United States. 

Memphis Art Museum Construction. Image © Houston Cofield

As it prepares to open its downtown campus in December 2026, the building was also highligted on WAC's Top 12 Exciting Architecture Projects list expected to open in 2026. The museum is currently under construction on site. 

Front Street, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

The new 123,500-square-foot museum, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Herzog & de Meuron architecture firm and architect of Record Archimania with landscape design by OLIN, adds 600 per cent more art-filled free public space, including a 50,000-square-foot rooftop sculpture garden and a 10,000-square-foot community courtyard at street level.

Front Street Sidewalk, Memphis Art Museum. Image © Herzog & de Meuron

With a collection of about 10,000 pieces covering 5,000 years of human history, the museum was established in 1916 and is the biggest and oldest world art museum in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. 

Memphis Art Museum Construction. Image © Houston Cofield

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation's gift of Old Master paintings, American art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and extensive photographic holdings are among the collection's strong points.

Front Street Sidewalk, Evening, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

"With this building, our ambition is to be nothing less than transformational for Memphis. The city and its museum will rise as the most important and inspiring cultural destination in the Southeast – a place that draws people from near and far to experience the power of art, creativity, and community," said Zoe Kahr, Executive Director, Memphis Art Museum.

"The rapid progress of the new museum’s construction is apparent, and it is incredibly rewarding to see the many spaces we envisioned coming to life," said Ascan Mergenthaler, Senior Partner, Herzog & de Meuron. 

"The timber-beamed galleries, the welcoming entrance lobby along Front Street, the expansive courtyard with its connection to the river, and the spectacular roof terrace overlooking the Mississippi floodplain are all taking shape."

"Already, the civic nature of the building is tangible, and one can sense the positive impact it will have on Memphis," Mergenthaler added.

Monroe Plaza, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

The new museum transforms downtown Memphis by taking up a full city block. The building's design, which draws inspiration from the clay banks of the Mississippi River, embodies the warmth and texture of the area. 

Its translucent glass façade, street-level galleries, and open invitation to the city will allow onlookers to view the artwork within and inspire creativity to flood out into the pavements, making it difficult to distinguish between the museum and Memphis. 

Courtyard River Window Stair, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

A public plaza shared with the historic Cossitt Library will create a vibrant cultural commons along the bluff, and the building serves as a fresh link between downtown and the riverside. A large, shaded courtyard in the middle will act as a gathering place and municipal center.

The galleries will offer ample, adaptable places for showcasing the museum's varied art collection, encircling the courtyard in a continuous, single-story ring. There will be five galleries with huge windows facing the community courtyard or the Mississippi River. 

Gallery North, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Nearby, well-lit classrooms with optimal exposure to the north will provide stimulating environments for creating and learning art at all levels, from school groups to adult artists, strengthening the link between viewing and producing art.

An event pavilion, sculptures, native plants, and expansive vistas of the Mississippi River and Downtown Memphis will all be included in the building's full-roof garden, often known as the "art park in the sky." Every floor of the structure offers a view of the river, including an elevated overlook of the horizon and a framed perspective of the ancient waterway.

Gallery North, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

The structure was one of the first significant museums in the United States built of laminated wood. From the lobby and entry porch to galleries, the café, classrooms, instructional spaces, and event spaces, wood features are a distinctive architectural feature of the campus.

The museum will open during a year marked by significant cultural events in the city, such as the National Ornamental Metal Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum. 

Gallery West Pause, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

With three ballet companies, four theater companies, and five museums that commemorate Memphis' crucial role in the history of blues, rock, and soul, these new initiatives join an already thriving cultural industry.

Gallery West, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

"The depth of a community’s belief in the arts is reflected in its willingness to invest boldly in spaces that invite imagination, dialogue, and connection."

"Our spectacular new home embodies that belief. It brings unprecedented clarity, visibility, and ambition to everything we do, signaling a new era not only for the museum, but for Memphis itself," said Dr. Kahr.

Classroom, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Roof Pavilion, Memphis Art Museum Credit, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Roof Garden, Memphis Art Museum Credit, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

River Window View, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Riverside Evening, Memphis Art Museum, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron

Memphis Art Museum Construction. Image © Houston Cofield

Memphis Art Museum Construction. Image © Houston Cofield

Memphis Art Museum Construction. Image © Houston Cofield

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will reopen as the Memphis Art Museum in December 2026 along the Mississippi River. It is a 123,500-square-foot cultural campus with more galleries, lots of public areas, and additional learning and creative studios. 

The museum, which was created as an open invitation to the city, is a hub for creativity and community where Memphians and tourists congregate, interact, and discover the transformative power of art, including top-notch architecture, a sculpture garden on the roof, and cultural events all year long.

The top image in the article: Courtyard Entry, Memphis Art Museum. Image is courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron.

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