With a collection of over 10,000 works spanning 5,000 years of history, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art – founded in 1916 – is one of the oldest and most important cultural institutions in Tennessee.

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, in collaboration with the local design collective Archimania, the new museum – which is expected to open in 2026 – is part of a larger urban redevelopment project of the riverside and will cover an area of 10 thousand square meters, increasing the current size of the museum by about a quarter. The current renovation project will rise on the shore overlooking the Mississippi, connecting the river with the city center, so as to create a new pedestrian path. The main structure of the museum will be covered in terracotta, while the inside will develop a second structure made of glass, to attract the attention of passers-by towards the bright interior.

“We’ve aimed to design a welcoming civic landmark that upon approach explains itself visually and from the inside reminds the visitor where he or she is in relation to a legendary river and a historic city”, said Jacques Herzog, co-founder of Herzog & de Meuron”, said Jacques Herzog.