The National Park Service and the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation have proposed a brand-new museum for New York’s Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty. There’s currently some gallery space within the statue’s pedestal, but only 20 percent of the island’s visitors have access to it. The new museum, which is in an early planning phase, would vastly increase visitor capacity with a free-standing 20,000-square-foot structure on the northwest side of the island, behind the monument. In addition to presenting exhibitions about the statue’s nearly 130-year history, the space would include a bookstore, a theater, a green roof, and administrative offices, and would also provide shelter for visitors during inclement weather. The Architect’s Newspaper reports that New York–based firm FXFOWLE will lead the design charge, with ESI Design working on the exhibition space. According to the Wall Street Journal, the project would be privately funded and has already received the support of designer Diane von Furstenberg, a member of the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation, who has pledged her assistance to fundraising efforts. Should the museum be green-lighted, it is expected to take two years to build.

The proposed museum site.

A conceptual sketch of the museum.