Sweeping views, grass roof for new Statue of Liberty Museum
NEW YORK — A new museum that seemingly rises out of the ground will replace the small exhibition space inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, its grass roof blending with the landscape and affording sweeping views of the iconic symbol of hope and freedom and New York Harbor.
Officials on Thursday unveiled the design for a new Statue of Liberty Museum at a groundbreaking ceremony on Liberty Island, which sees 4.3 million visitors each year.
Slated to open in 2019, the 26,000-square-foot building, constructed of glass, granite and concrete, will be sited across the circular plaza from the statue.
Architect Nicholas Garrison said the goal was to design a building that didn’t compete with the statue and wasn’t the first thing visitors saw as they disembarked the ferry.