New York studio Selldorf Architects will lead a major upgrade and expansion of art museum and research institution The Frick Collection.

Originally housed primarily in the New York residence of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick – who left his vast collection of old master paintings to the institution – the Frick Collection now encompasses several buildings, wings and gardens that have not undergone a significant upgrade in almost 40 years.

Selldorf Architects have been appointed to develop a design plan to upgrade the complex’s conservation and research facilities and create new galleries and educational spaces, while fostering “a more natural and seamless” visitor flow throughout the buildings.

The studio were selected over 19 others during an 18-month process. According to The Frick Collection, the firm, led by founder Annabelle Selldorf, “distinguished itself throughout the process for their creativity, vision, and approach, which respects the institution’s core goal of amplifying opportunities for intimate engagement with great works of art while preserving the domestic scale and aesthetic of the original home and the gardens.”

Ian Wardropper, director of The Frick Collection, said the jury was impressed with the architects’ work renovating New York’s Neue Galerie and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown; projects which demonstrated “how new designs can enrich, rather than overwhelm, already distinguished architectural spaces.”

The initial conceptual plans are expected to be shared with the public by the end of 2017.

“We’re honoured to play a part in this critical moment of the Frick’s continued evolution,” said Selldorf. “Success for the project will be a visitor experience that feels deeply familiar, authentic, and reassuring for those who know and love the Frick, and a welcoming and enchanting atmosphere for those visiting for the first time.”