The Metropolitan Museum of Art has selected Young & Ayata, a firm co-founded by associate professor Michael Young from The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, for the redesign of the Nolen Study Room in the Thomas J. Watson Library. For this $3 million, 1,000-square-foot renovation, Watson Library and Museum Archives will close to the public on October 29, 2025, with the new spaces scheduled to open in late spring 2026.

As a result of the project, the Nolen Study Room will replace Watson Library’s former Periodical Room. The circulation desk will also be redesigned to create a more inviting space for library visitors. The renovation will introduce architectural and design elements that honor and reinterpret the existing mid-century modern aesthetic. The original wood shelving will be preserved and reimagined into wall panels milled with a pattern inspired by traditions of paper marbling.

“We are thrilled to work with Young & Ayata on this special project, and their design will make this enhanced space a jewel among The Met’s libraries and research centers,” says Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and CEO. 

Young and fellow founding partner Kutan Ayata are excited to be shaping this important cultural space: “As so much of our daily access to information has moved to online platforms, the extraordinary resources available to the public through the collection of Watson Library remind us how wonderful it is to explore physical material in the spaces of library reading rooms. We are thrilled to have a modest contribution to the ever-evolving architectural character of The Met and hope to create an inspirational atmosphere for scholars and members of the broader public invested in learning through the library’s collection.”

The Watson Library, which is open to the public, is the research library of The Met and is one of the world's most comprehensive art libraries, with more than one million volumes. The library’s holdings reflect the global and encyclopedic nature of The Met and includes books ranging in date from the late 15th century to current scholarship in all fields covered by The Met. The library’s mission is to support the research activities of the museum's staff and to offer access and outstanding services to an international community of students and scholars.