In late September, The Met gave an early look at the newly renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Closed since 2021, the 40,000-square-foot wing on the museums south side underwent a $70 million renovation led by WHY Architecture in collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle. The wing will reopen in May 2025, when visitors can view pieces spanning five continents staged across three sections: Arts of Africa, Ancient Americas, and Oceania. In addition to brightening up the galleries, renovation work also centered on retrofitting the window that envelops the museums south face.A rendering by WHY Architecture of The Arts of Oceania Galleries alongside the angled windows. (Courtesy WHY Architecture)An impetus for creating the wing was American philanthropist Nelson Aldrich Rockefellers 1969 gift of more than 3,000 pieces. Back then, these works were seen as the non-Western, the other, Max Hollein, The Mets director and chief executive, said in an interview with the New York Times, adding, our perspective has evolved.The Arts of the Ancient Americas Galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met. (Paula Lobo/Courtesy The Met)The wing was named after Rockefellers son, Michael, who was also an avid traveler and disappeared in 1961 while on an expedition in New Guinea. The new wing opened to the public in 1982 with the creation of a new department. It was designed by The Mets master plan architects, Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. At the time there was a tug-of-war between the design team and Rockefeller over the display of items and the expansive floor-to-ceiling, angled glass wall, a seminal design component of the wing. The Met sought to display 30 percent of the collection, Rockefeller envisioned 80 percent of the collection on display. In the end nearly 2,000 objects were placed on view without it seeming too crowded. These considerations were again integral in the latest Rockefeller wing revamp, but updated with modern application.Within the wing, clean white walls are coupled with curved ribs. (Paula Lobo/Courtesy The Met)Statues, decorative objects, apparel, and other artifacts are staged across the 16 revamped galleries. Within the wing, clean white walls are coupled with curved ribs that span across the ceilings, as seen in the Arts of Africa portion, where the dark, cavernous, and dimly lit galleries of the 1980s renovation have been replaced with stark white walls and new glass display boxes. As one would expect in a museum setting the ribs were crafted to not draw attention away from the pieces on display.The visual connection between the new ceiling structures and the existing architectural conditions is perhaps most prominent in the Arts of Oceania section, where the floor-to-ceiling windows are located. Here, the ribs span downward to line up with the mullions on the angled windows.The iconic angled glass wall in the wing was retrofitted. (Paula Lobo/Courtesy The Met)In a press release The Met noted how the curved ribs recall regional African architecture, specifically the Great Mosque of Jenne in Mali. These ceiling elements offer a distinct difference between the new wing and the adjacent Greek and Roman Art and European Sculpture and Decorative Arts portion of the museum. They create a new backdrop for highlights of the Rockefeller Wings collection.A sculpture on display in the Arts of Africa Galleries in The Mets Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. (Paula Lobo/Courtesy The Met)Kulapat Yantrasast, founder and creative director of WHY Architecture, said working on the Rockefeller Wing affirmed his practices belief that museums are true sites of empathy. He added Through our design with The Met, we hope to highlight the diversity and distinction within these rich collections while providing a welcoming and memorable sense of place.Capital Projects, who led the design and construction process of the renovation, shared the intricate operation used to completely revamp the glass wall in the wing, where Beyer Blinder Bell was the executive architect on the effort. Preserving the integrity of the glazing was a balancing act: how to maintain the original design while shielding the art from UV rays and still allowing ample natural light to seep into the space.The redesign of the wing addresses the most crucial issues of our time, from carbon footprint reduction to the emphasis on local materials and artisanship, said Jhaelen Hernandez-Eli, vice president of Capital Projects. Hernandez-Eli added that the entire design and construction team, prioritized job creation and workforce training, reuse of materials, and the reduction of energy consumption while enduring that the resulting architecture supports our collection and inspires our public.When the Rockefeller Wing reopens in the spring over 1,800 artifacts will be on display. (Eric Petschek/Courtesy WHY Architecture)The Ceremonial House Ceiling created by the Kwoma people, located in the Arts of Oceania Galleries. (Paula Lobo/Courtesy The Met)When the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing opens this spring over 1,800 artifacts will be on view, among these are the ancient American textiles and featherwork spanning over a 3,000-year history; the Ceremonial House Ceiling created by the Kwoma people of Papua New Guinea, located in the Oceania area; and in the African section, clay and wooden sculptures dating back to the 12th century be found, among other artifacts from across the three regions.