The National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York plans to move in 2026 to a 3,200 m² building, built in 1901, located at 635 Avenue of the Americas and owned by Spear Street Capital. That’s nearly double the size of its original location, which opened in 2012 at 11 East 26th Street and closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. The previous tenant, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, an American distribution chain, left the premises in 2019. The design of the spaces was entrusted to architects Nicholas Leahy and Andres Pastoriza, from the Perkins Eastman firm. The National Museum of Mathematics is temporarily using a 20,000-square-foot space called MoMath on Fifth, located at 225 Fifth Avenue.
This move responds to an increase in attendance, the museum having welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors since its opening in 2012, attracted by its interactive exhibitions. The museum strives to demonstrate that mathematics can be explored in a fun way, linked to current research and aspects of everyday life. In the new space, recent discoveries, such as the “Einstein tiles”, will have a pride of place.
New exhibitions are planned, such as that on the birthday paradox (where the probability that at least two people share a date of birth exceeds 50% in a group of 23 individuals) or on Egyptian fractions.
The expansion will also allow the creation of a space dedicated to young children and six additional classrooms. A first introduction to mathematics which could give ideas to other mathematics museums to broaden their audience. A notable example is La Maison Poincaré, the first French museum dedicated to mathematics, intended for visitors aged 12 and over. Led by mathematician Cédric Villani, winner of the 2010 Fields Medal, this project saw the light of day in September 2023. The museum is generating similar enthusiasm, surprising its visitors with a unique approach to mathematics.
