Cooper Hewitt Reopens Dec. 12 After Three-Year Renovation

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Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Dec 11, 2014, 05:52 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design, will open the renovated and restored Carnegie Mansiwaraegon, Friday, Dec. 12. When the transformed museum opens on New York's Museum Mile, it will offer 60 percent more exhibition space to showcase one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design works in existence.

Ten inaugural exhibitions and installations, many of which draw from the museum's permanent collection of more than 210,000 objects that span 30 centuries, will feature more than 700 objects throughout four floors of the mansion. For the first time in the museum's history, the entire second floor will be dedicated to showcasing the permanent collection through a variety of exhibitions.

At the time of the opening, visitors also will be able to experience a full range of new interactive capabilities thanks to Bloomberg Connects, Bloomberg Philanthropies' digital engagement program, including the opportunity to explore the collection digitally on ultra-high-definition touch-screen tables, draw their own designs in the Immersion Room, and solve real-world design problems in the Process Lab. A newly developed Pen, which further enhances the visitor experience through the ability to "collect" and "save" information, will launch in early 2015.

The transformation of the historic Carnegie Mansion (the former residence of Andrew Carnegie) into a 21st-century museum is an astonishing work of design in itself, with an esteemed team of 13 design firms involved. The spirit and character of the landmark building were preserved, with key elements restored to their original grandeur. Much-needed system upgrades were made, allowing for more flexibility to reduce exhibition installation time, better accommodate the movement of objects and, above all, to enhance public access on every level.

The opening will be celebrated with a special ceremony the morning of Dec. 12 attended by Clough, Baumann, Cooper Hewitt Board of Trustees Chairman Barbara A. Mandel and Cooper Hewitt Board of Trustees President Beth Comstock, along with New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, and Majority Leader and Chair, Cultural Affairs Committee, New York City Council, Jimmy Van Bramer, New York City Public Design Commission Executive Director Faith Rose, and New York City Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick. The museum officially opens to the public at 11 a.m.

A number of free family design workshops will be offered throughout the opening weekend, including a sketching workshop with guest curator Maira Kalman and a tool-making workshop inspired by the exhibition "Tools: Extending Our Reach." On Saturdays, the museum will offer extended evening hours and Pay-What-You-Wish admission from 6 to 9 p.m.

Cooper Hewitt is located at 2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue in New York City. Hours are Sunday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The café and garden open prior to the museum – Sunday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Public transit routes include the Lexington Avenue 4, 5 and 6 subways (86th or 96th Street stations) and the Fifth and Madison Avenue buses. Adult admission, $18; seniors, $12; students, $9. Cooper Hewitt members and children younger than age 18 are admitted free. Pay What You Wish, every Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m. The museum is fully accessible.