ICA Miami Renovates Museum Building in Design District

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is converting a former private museum into a second campus building.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Fine Art

Photograph of a pale limestone and glass museum facade under renovation, with a slender scaffold along one edge and palm fronds at the frame edge in warm golden light. — The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is renovating a former private museum at 23 Northeast 41st Street, with Gensler leading a project that adds about 30,000 square feet. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

ICA Miami is renovating a former private museum building at 23 Northeast 41st Street in the Miami Design District, with Gensler leading the project. The second building will add roughly 30,000 square feet to the institution's footprint, on the same block as its flagship.

Why it matters

The project doubles ICA Miami's physical footprint into a multi-site campus, expanding exhibition and programming space for the city's contemporary art audience. It follows the institution's 2024 acquisition of the building for $25 million.

The renovated building measures approximately 30,000 square feet with eight galleries, four on each of two floors, and a third floor for public programming. The $5 million Knight Foundation donation is confirmed, but the full project cost beyond the $25 million acquisition was not disclosed.

The players

Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami)

A contemporary art institution founded in 2014 that operates a flagship building in the Miami Design District and is expanding into a multi-site campus.

Gensler

A global architecture and design firm leading the renovation of the former museum building for ICA Miami.

Knight Foundation

A philanthropic foundation that donated $5 million to support the project.

The details

Gensler is renovating the existing museum building, leaving much of its structure intact while making interventions to the facade and lobby. The third floor will host screenings, events, and lectures, and the project is slated for completion in late 2027.

2000–2024: The building operates as a private museum featuring the Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz collection.
2014: ICA Miami is founded.
2017: ICA Miami's flagship opens, designed by Aranguren + Gallegos Arquitectos.
2024: ICA Miami acquires the building for $25 million.
Late 2027: The renovated second building is slated for completion.

Season Trajectory

The project extends the Miami Design District's pattern of collector-backed institutions converting private holdings into public art venues. It shows how a Florida arts institution is moving from a single flagship toward a multi-site model.

Visitors to Miami's Design District will gain eight additional galleries and a third-floor space for screenings, events, and lectures once the building opens. The second building sits on the same block as the flagship, making a combined visit practical for art audiences.

The takeaway

Institutions expanding into multi-site campuses can add exhibition space and public programming without relocating their core identity. Readers following Miami's arts scene can track the project's progress toward its late 2027 completion date.