The Bronx Museum of the Arts has just announced a two-year, $26 million overhaul of the museum’s now 50-year-old 165th Street and Grand Concourse location.

Led by Marvel and overseen by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the overhaul will include changes to the original 1962 synagogue structure’s entrance and lobby area to coincide with a rebranding campaign authored by Brooklyn-based independent design studio Team.

Renderings of the proposed upgrades appear to show a unification of the building’s North and South wings through the South Atrium, with a new "reimagined, spacious lobby" that includes street-facing displays for rotating exhibitions, expanded seating areas, and a "community gathering space" similar in concept to the anchoring "living room" David Adjaye is in the process of creating for the new Studio Museum in Harlem nearby.

Materials like folded copper bronze panel roofs add tonality and provide a reflection of the Grand Concourse’s Art Deco-defined character on the interior of the lobby, while outside, the existing exterior metal paneling is removed to expose the brickwork that came with the original synagogue’s design. An added glazing on its expanded facade comes interlaced with glass fiber reinforced concrete, and a new triple-height project space will stand as a distinctive visual invitation to passersby from the street.

"Marvel’s design for the renovation and expansion of The Bronx Museum channels the Bronx’s can-do, hip-hop creativity and resourcefulness," architect Jonathan Marvel said of his New York and San Juan-based operation’s latest Bronx commission.

"More than a museum, The Bronx Museum breaks down barriers, is a source of culture and a gathering space for the community, and visitors from around the globe," he offers. "The Marvel team is enthusiastically working alongside The Bronx Museum to blur the boundaries of building and sidewalk, and reach a city-wide audience. In designing a new front door for the people of the Bronx, we are opening the Museum’s exhibitions, programs and events for the entire community to enjoy."

Marvel is currently in the process of creating the public esplanade of the new Universal Hip Hop Museum to be located a few blocks to the south at Bronx Point. The museum project is expected to be completed in 2025. In a press statement, Executive Director Klaudio Rodriguez said: "We hope to further our mission to not only champion artists who are not typically represented within museums but also amplify our ability to educate, engage and provide a critical gathering space for our communities."