The Metropolitan Museum of Art Redesigns Thomas J. Watson Library
How the new space is likely to look
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the redesign of the Nolen Study Room in the Thomas J. Watson Library.
The space, which is accessible to the public, will house around 5,000 books reflecting the scope of The Met’s collection on new open and browsable shelves. It will also provide a flexible and multipurpose space that can be reconfigured beyond a reading room to accommodate classes, presentations, seminars, and programs for students and Museum visitors.
The Museum has selected the New York & Los Angeles–based design firm Young & Ayata for the $3m, 1,000-square-foot project. Watson Library and Museum Archives will close to the public on October 29, and the new spaces are scheduled to open in late spring 2026.
“Watson Library is an incredibly vital resource for the public as well as Met staff and volunteers, and this important renovation of the library’s Nolen Study Room will provide innovative and refreshing design to complement the incredible collection of art publications, catalogues, ephemera and more,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO.
The Nolen Study Room will replace Watson Library’s former Periodical Room. The circulation desk will also be redesigned to create a more inviting space for library visitors. The original wood shelving will be preserved and reimagined into wall panels milled with a pattern inspired by traditions of paper marbling.
Young & Ayata, a design/research practice based in New York and Los Angeles, said: “As so much of our daily access to information has moved to online platforms, the extraordinary resources available to the public through the collection of Watson Library remind us how wonderful it is to explore physical material in the spaces of library reading rooms. We are thrilled to have a modest contribution to the ever-evolving architectural character of The Met and hope to create an inspirational atmosphere for scholars and members of the broader public invested in learning through the library’s collection.”
Thomas J. Watson Library is the research library of The Met and is one of the world's most comprehensive art libraries with more than a million volumes. It was designed by Brown, Lawford and Forbes in 1962 and opened in 1965. The library’s holdings reflect the global and encyclopedic nature of The Met with books ranging in date from the late 15th century to current scholarship, in all fields covered by The Met. Last year, Watson Library added more than 15,000 titles in 65 languages.
