The Bronx Museum of Arts in New York City is seeking an architect for a planned expansion of its collection.

The Bronx Times is reporting that the institution released a request for proposals this week that will add a new South Wing atrium to the museum located in the Bronx’s Grand Concourse neighborhood. 

The museum, which added an Arquitectonica-designed three-story North Wing in 2006, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and has been under the tutelage of an interim director since early last year. The institution has been able to weather the pandemic thanks to an emergency PPP loan and will now look forward to a new chapter of prosperity coinciding with the new addition. The museum has become known around the art world for a progressive board and popular exhibitions that have elevated artists of color to the international stage for some time. 

The expansion is expected to add an “enhanced entrance” to the building as well as providing more space for the public programming and performances that have played a large part in the success of the museum in recent years. 

There are over 2,000 objects currently in the museum’s permanent collection. 

“[The new wing] presents a unique opportunity to envision and realize what a 21st-century, community-based, globe-spanning museum should be,” Bronx Museum Executive Director Klaudio Rodriguez said in a statement. “The renovation will strengthen our capacity to meet our community’s needs, by amplifying our ability to educate, engage and accommodate our visitors. The project will simultaneously reflect our values and priorities, including our commitments to accessibility, equity, and transparency.”

RFPs will be accepted until August 2nd and will be overseen by the museum alongside the New York City Development Corporation (NYCEDC).