by Redazione 06/11/2026

The Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami has selected the architectural firm Gensler to renovate a building spanning nearly 3,000 square meters, which will become a second location for the museum. The project will double the museum’s space and, for the first time, allow for a permanent exhibition of the collection. Admission to the museum is free, and it also aims to strengthen its activities

In just over ten years of existence,the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami has never had a permanent home for its permanent collection. The main venue, which opened in 2017 in the Miami Design District, hosts temporary exhibitions, but the works owned by the museum do not have dedicated galleries. Now things are about to change:ICA Miami is expanding into a second building on the same block, at 23 Northeast 41st Street, which will double the institution’s space and transform it into a small, multi-site campus. The renovation project has been entrusted to the international firm Gensler, and completion is scheduled for late 2027.

The building to which the museum will move is no ordinary building: for years, it housed the De la Cruz Collection, the private museum that exhibited the collection of collectors Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz and was open to the public free of charge. ICA Miami purchased it in 2024 for $25 million and, in its presentation of the project, emphasizes that the acquisition also serves to preserve the building’s historic role as a landmark for Miami’s artistic community and as a hub for free-admission art in the Design District. The ICA, after all, is also a free museum, including its educational programs.

Rendering of the new ICA Miami building. Courtesy of Gensler

The purchase was financed through an entirely private fundraising campaign, in which members of the museum’s board of directors played a significant role, along with the Knight Foundation, which donated $5 million, and several other donors who contributed in various ways. With this announcement, the museum also launched the public phase of its campaign to raise the funds needed to set up and operate the new spaces.

The new building measures approximately 2,800 square meters and will feature eight galleries—four on the ground floor and four on the first floor—dedicated to the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. The second floor will be reserved for public programs, with spaces for screenings, events, conferences, symposia, and performances. Among the new features is the Knight Foundation Gallery for New Media, a space dedicated to artists experimenting with new technologies and emerging forms of expression. The museum will also feature several educational classrooms and a studio for the production of digital and audiovisual content. For the permanent collection galleries, the ICA promises a selection that brings together some of the most important works of the past decades and, in its own words, presents an intergenerational and inclusive narrative of global contemporary art.

Gensler’s redesign will not drastically alter the existing building: much of the structure will remain as is, and the current galleries will be adapted to the museum’s needs. The most visible changes will affect the façade and the entrance: the renderings show a sort of reddish, semi-transparent screen applied to the building’s exterior.

This marks a new chapter in the history of ICA Miami, founded in 2014—ten years after the opening of its current main headquarters, designed by the Spanish firm Aranguren + Gallegos Arquitectos. With the new facility, the museum says it aims to expand its impact on the public and strengthen the resources available to the community, with the goal of playing a leading international role in artistic experimentation and research over the next decade.

“This expansion represents a natural step for ICA Miami, as it allows us to build on the incredible positive response we’ve received from the community during our first decade and to further develop our dynamic and ever-evolving exhibition program and collection,” said Alex Gartenfeld, director and chief curator of ICA Miami. “Gensler has fully embraced the project’s objectives and the operational and programmatic needs that will complement our existing program and facilities. I am deeply grateful to our Board of Directors and the members of the Fundraising Campaign, as well as to the Knight Foundation, who have led the community in rallying around the museum and have consistently recognized the museum’s unique role in the arts landscape—locally, nationally, and internationally.”

In Miami, a contemporary art museum is doubling its exhibition space to showcase its collection

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.