Eight highly anticipated American architecture projects completing in 2026
From a monumental presidential center in Chicago to skyscrapers in New York and Texas, here are the most anticipated architectural projects completing in the United States in 2026.
Buffalo Bills stadium, New York, by Populous
The new Highmark Stadium is being constructed adjacent to the NFL team Buffalo Bills' current stadium in southeast Buffalo, New York.
It will have stacked seating for around 62,000 with a perforated sweeping exterior. Like its predecessor it will have an open roof, but the new building will feature a deep canopy with "the world's largest snowmelt system".
Find out more about New Highmark Stadium here ›
New Museum expansion, New York, by OMA
OMA has been working on an expansion for the SANAA-designed New Museum in Manhattan since 2019, and this year, the articulated building will finally be open. The building tapers down and up from a wide middle, creating extra space on the street-facing aspect.
Wedged between the metal-clad SANAA structure and historic brick buildings, OMA New York partner Shohei Shigematsu said the building take cues from the 2007 building while having its own identity.
Find out more about the New Museum expansion ›
Since it topped out in August 2025, this skyscraper designed by KPF in Austin is the tallest in Texas and the first supertall in the state, rising 1,025 feet (312 meters).
The building has multiple stacked volumes supported by externalised columns at levels that mark changes in programme and hold outdoor and amenity spaces. Named Waterline, it slopes away from the Red River and has a podium designed to be open to connections to the series of trails along the riverfront.
Find out more about Waterline ›
Obama Presidential Center, Illinois, by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
After years of delays due to the pandemic and complications over site selection, the Obama Presidential Center is set to open in southern Chicago this year. A number of renowned artists and studios, such as Moody Nolan and Maya Lin are involved with the project.
A massive concrete structure with a faceted facade sits on a large site with several support structures, some of which have been placed underground in order to provide parking space.
Find out more about the Obama Presidential Center ›
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, California, by MAD
The futuristic Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is nearing completion in Los Angeles after years of delays. It has a sweeping facade covered with thousands of fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) panels and a green roof.
It is dedicated to the work of film director George Lucas and connect to the adjacent Exposition Park.
Find out more about Lucas Museum of Narrative Art ›
520 Fifth Avenue, New York, by KPF
This supertall skyscraper topped out in late 2024, rising 1,002 feet (305 metres) in the heart of Manhattan, near the Empire State Building.
It has a narrow form with several slight setbacks as it rises, and the studio has said it was informed by beaux-arts design in the creation of its envelope, seen in the detailed, arched window frames.
Find out more about 520 Fifth Avenue ›
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, New York, by Studio Gang
Studio Gang announced the design of this semi-enclosed theatre in Upstate New York in 2023, and is on track to complete it this year.
With a mass-timber structure, the theatre will have a sloping roof and triangular support beams that frame the natural beauty of the surrounding Hudson Valley.
Find out more about the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival ›
262 Fifth Avenue, New York, by Meganom
This skinny supertall skyscraper is finally set to complete in the Nomad district of Manhattan near Madison Square Park.
With a core pushed to one side, the 1,001-foot-tall (305 metres) structure will feature full-floor residences and have a facade clad in aluminium and glass.
Find out more about 262 Fifth Avenue ›
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