Josie Robertson Plaza

Josie Robertson Plaza
Name	Josie Robertson Plaza
Caption	Main approach to the plaza from 72nd Street
Location	Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City
Opened	2014
Architect	Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Owner	The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Designer	Olin (landscape architecture firm)

Josie Robertson Plaza is a publicly accessible forecourt and entrance complex on the west side of Fifth Avenue between 72nd Street and 73rd Street serving The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, New York City. The plaza functions as a formal arrival court for visitors entering from the Upper East Side and connects to nearby cultural and civic landmarks including the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Fifth Avenue building, Central Park, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden approach. Designed as part of a comprehensive museum expansion and visitor circulation plan, the plaza integrates landscape architecture, public art, and urban design to manage foot traffic from major transit axes such as Fifth Avenue (Manhattan), East 72nd Street (Manhattan), and pedestrian flows from Central Park South.

Overview

The plaza occupies a strategic site in the cultural corridor anchored by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History across Central Park. It is named for philanthropist Josie Robertson, associated with The Robertson Foundation and major cultural philanthropy in New York City. Functionally, the space mediates between street-level transit routes on Fifth Avenue (Manhattan), museum entry logistics, and adjacent public spaces such as Central Park's East Drive. The arrival court was developed alongside initiatives led by museum leadership including former directors and trustees from institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art and donor organizations such as the Robertson Foundation and The Carrano Family Foundation.

Design and Architecture

The architectural design team was headed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with landscape architects Olin (landscape architecture firm), producing a plaza that emphasizes permeable paving, variable topography, and integrated seating. The scheme references precedents from iconic urban plazas near museums such as the Tate Modern forecourt, the Louvre courtyard interventions, and the circulation strategies employed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.. Materials and detailing draw on stonework commonly used on Fifth Avenue (Manhattan) facades and echo neighboring Beaux-Arts motifs found in the museum’s main building, which was designed by architects including Richard Morris Hunt, McKim, Mead & White, and later additions by firms like Kevin Roche associates. Lighting, drainage, and sightline studies were coordinated with municipal agencies such as the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York City Department of Transportation to align with citywide streetscape standards.

History and Development

The plaza emerged from a multi-year planning process undertaken during a period of institutional transformation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art involving governing boards, cultural policy advisers, and public stakeholders. Proposals for improved visitor circulation and a new western forecourt date to earlier capital campaigns and master plans presented to bodies including the museum’s board and civic review panels such as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Fundraising drew on philanthropic rounds undertaken by families and foundations active in urban cultural development, including the Robertson family and partners in the philanthropic community. Construction phases required coordination with municipal permitting authorities and contractors experienced in urban stonework, landscape installation, and infrastructure relocation near historic properties such as the museum’s Fifth Avenue facade and the neighboring Metropolitan Club.

Public Use and Events

Since opening, the plaza has hosted a range of programmed and incidental activities that reflect its role within the museum precinct: visitor queuing and admissions processing for exhibitions curated by museum departments such as European Paintings, American Decorative Arts, and Modern and Contemporary Art; arrival staging for special events tied to benefactors, trustees, and institutional ceremonies involving figures from institutions like the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic; and public-facing activations partnered with cultural organizations like Lincoln Center-affiliated groups and local community partners. The adaptable paved surface accommodates temporary installations, public performances, and museum-sponsored outreach events while maintaining circulation capacity during major exhibitions and season-specific crowd surges associated with tourism patterns in New York City.

Accessibility and Transportation

The plaza was designed to improve access from multimodal transport nodes including nearby MTA Regional Bus Operations routes on Fifth Avenue (Manhattan), subway stations serving the MTA New York City Subway—notably those on Lexington Avenue/59th Street and stations along the IRT Lexington Avenue Line—and pedestrian routes from Central Park and the Upper East Side Historic Districts. ADA-compliant ramps, tactile paving for assistive navigation, and designated drop-off zones accommodate visitors arriving by vehicle, paratransit, and rideshare services. Circulation planning coordinated with city agencies such as the New York City Department of Transportation to ensure loading, curb regulations, and street-level signage were consistent with municipal codes and transit operations.

Conservation and Maintenance

Ongoing care of the plaza involves conservation protocols overseen by facilities teams associated with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and contracts with specialty conservators experienced with outdoor stone, metal, and landscape elements. Seasonal maintenance schedules address planting beds, stormwater drainage, and freeze–thaw cycles typical of New York City climate patterns, while public safety measures align with standards used by civic institutions including museum security units and municipal emergency services. Long-term stewardship planning references best practices from institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and municipal park conservancies to preserve material integrity and ensure the plaza continues to serve as a durable civic threshold.

Category:Plazas in Manhattan Category:Upper East Side Category:The Metropolitan Museum of Art