David Zwirner Plans New Art Gallery In Chelsea

CHELSEA, NY — The art dealer David Zwirner is planning to open a spacious new gallery in Chelsea, he announced on Monday.

Zwirner will open a 5-story, $50 million gallery at 540 W. 21st St., the New York Times was first to report.

A spokesman for the gallery confirmed the plans, and said the new space is expected to open in fall 2020. It is being designed by the architect Renzo Piano. The gallery will be connected to a residential tower being constructed on a neighboring site.

Zwirner has become one of the most powerful art dealers in the world. He currently runs three galleries in New York City, two in Chelsea and one on the Upper East Side. Zwirner, 53, told the Times that he plans to close one of the two existing Chelsea galleries and keep the Upper East Side location open after the new space on 21st Street is built.

Last month, art lovers stood for hours in the cold for a chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work at Zwirner's gallery. The gallery estimated a total of 75,000 people saw the exhibition.

Zwirner began his career in 1993 with his very first gallery in Soho, which had just 1,600 square feet of space.

"There was a simplicity in the early days that was charming," Zwirner told the Times. "The transition from what was classically a mom-and-pop operation to a global business — it’s much more complicated."

Image credit: Andrew Toth / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment. Image caption: In November, the David Zwirner Art Gallery attracted thousands of guests who lined up to view the Yayoi Kusama 'I Who Have Arrived In Heaven' Exhibition.