Winner Announced

Finalists’ Gallery

This online gallery features the six finalist teams’ concepts in the competition to transform and expand The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

The museum’s vision is crystallized as ​‘Building Belonging’ – meaning a place where all feel welcome to dream and explore; a social space to hang out; a destination where people can create community.

The museum’s Board of Trustees aims to broaden the conventions of the museum – which offers free general admission – so it continues evolving as 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 six shortlisted teams – some of the most respected designers working in museum architecture today – were selected from more than 180 submissions in November 2024.

These concept designs are also on display in a free presentation at the Nelson-Atkins through Spring 2025.

In April 2025 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art unanimously selected WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/​Landscape/​Urbanism as the lead architect for the expansion and transformation project.

We welcome your feedback on the designs shown here – please share your thoughts via the online form hosted on the museum’s website.

  • Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/ Landscape­/Urbanism
    Winner

    Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/ Landscape­/Urbanism

    New York, New York

    with SCAPE (Landscape Architecture), Atelier Ten (Sustainability), WeShouldDoItAll (Exhibition and Experience Design), Taliaferro & Browne (Civil Engineering), Jaros, Baum & Bolles (MEP Engineering), Severud Associates (Structural Engineering)

  • Kengo Kuma & Associates

    Kengo Kuma & Associates

    Tokyo, Japan

    with GGN (Landscape Architecture), Endelman & Associates (Accessibility), Post Oak Preservation Solutions (Heritage), Art Processors (Exhibition and Experience Design), Buro Happold (Engineering (Structural/MEP/Lighting))

  • Selldorf Architects

    Selldorf Architects

    New York, New York

    with Reed Hilderbrand (Landscape Architecture), Atelier Ten (Sustainability), Two Row Architect (Indigenous Consultant), Renfro Design Group (Lighting), Arup (MEP Engineering), Guy Nordenson & Associates (Structural Engineering), TYLin Silman (Structural Engineering)

  • Studio Gang

    Studio Gang

    Chicago, Illinois

    with SCAPE (Landscape Architecture), Atelier Ten (Sustainability), JSA/MIXdesign (Inclusive Design), Snyder Consultancy (Cultural Strategy), Heritage Consulting Group (Heritage), Burns & McDonnell (Civil Engineering), Lam Partners (Lighting), Altieri (MEP Engineering), Thornton Tomasetti (Structural Engineering)

  • WHY Architecture

    WHY Architecture

    Los Angeles, California

    with WILDING x WHY (Landscape Architecture), Atelier Ten (Sustainability), STRATA Architecture + Preservation (Heritage), Arup (MEP Engineering and Lighting), TYLin Silman (Structural Engineering)