KANSAS CITY, MO.- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art today announced the six finalist teams who will take part in the international design competition’s second stage.

From this shortlist, a winner will be chosen by the museum’s Architect Selection Committee (ASC) in Spring 2025 to transform the museum with a dynamic, open, and inviting design. The expansion’s goal is to attract new audiences by creating a vibrant space to host more art, and new creative, immersive and energizing experiences.

The museum’s Board of Trustees is intent on broadening the conventions of the museum – which is free to enter – so it continues becoming a place where everyone feels they belong. The project will integrate the campus, the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park, and the two existing buildings into a cohesive new experience.

The first stage of the competition, which launched in October 2024, attracted 182 teams from 30 countries on six continents. In recognition of the high quality of submissions, the museum’s ASC expanded the shortlist from the envisioned five to six teams. The finalists will now visit the museum for a detailed briefing and begin working on their concept designs over the next three months.

The finalists (by team lead and in alphabetical order) are:

• Kengo Kuma & Associates (Tokyo)
• Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Genoa)
• Selldorf Architects (New York)
• Studio Gang (Chicago)
• Weiss/Manfredi Architecture (New York)
• WHY Architecture (Los Angeles)

“We were delighted with the extraordinary response from the global design community to our expansion project,” said Evelyn Craft Belger, Chair of the museum’s Board of Trustees and the Architect Selection Committee.

“Choosing the finalist teams was difficult given the extraordinary breadth of talent interested in the project. In keeping with the high expectations of the Kansas City community, the final list identifies some of the most respected designers working in museum architecture today. We look forward to seeing the six concept designs which will articulate six unique visions of a new and even more dynamic Nelson-Atkins.”

“The invitation to envision our future was a call-out to creativity,’ said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins, “We’re at an invigorating moment for the museum. Though this is a complex project requiring deep analysis and rigor around the budget, all options are on the table. We want the finalist teams to make bold design moves and challenge the brief, while also respecting the existing museum spaces.”

“The interest in this project is a recognition of how the acclaimed Bloch Building expansion by Steven Holl captured the public imagination and was pivotal for the Nelson-Atkins in increasing museum attendance and access.”

“The Selection Committee was faced with a daunting task to select the best from over 180 submissions,” said Malcolm Reading, Competition Director.

“So, in the end, what shone through? The six teams presented outstanding credentials combined with creative leadership and forward-thinking. This list encompasses diversity, experience and design excellence. The next stage will test not only the teams’ pure design thinking, but also their ingenuity in how to draw and energize new audiences.”

Each finalist team will receive a competition fee of US$75,000 for their design work when the competition concludes with the selection of the winner.

The estimated construction budget of $160 million – $170 million (funded entirely by private donations) is one part of a larger, more comprehensive campaign starting in 2025. The campaign is expected to be the single biggest investment in the arts in Kansas City in recent years, contributing to the city’s future dynamism and vitality. The museum receives no public tax dollars for operations or capital projects.