UMOCA’s move will leave a multi-year gap between its current home and the museum planned for 2031. The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art plans to close its downtown gallery in mid-2027, before the building is demolished for a new east-west connection. It will operate from a temporary facility during construction, though the location has not been announced. Before closing, the museum is inviting the public to contribute to a final exhibition tied to the building.
UMOCA's current location, tucked next to Abravanel Hall, the Salt Lake Temple and the Salt Palace in downtown Salt Lake City, has to go to make room for an east-west connection tied to the city's planned sports, entertainment, culture and convention district. “Our current building will be torn down,” Laura Allred Hurtado, UMOCA's executive director, told The Salt Lake Tribune, “to allow for that east-west connection that the new district is planning.” The museum will relocate north, closer to Abravanel Hall, where it is expected to serve as an entryway into the new district, according to the Tribune.
Other changes to downtown’s cultural core
UMOCA’s relocation is one part of a changing downtown cultural landscape. Salt Lake County said Abravanel Hall would remain a cultural anchor; its National Register of Historic Places designation was finalized in 2024, according to the county announcement. Another reported change is a one-block Japanese-themed cultural district. ABC4 reported that plans for it were created in 2021 and construction was still underway when the outlet published its report in October 2026.
A More Visible Home
The current building’s sunken-plaza design has made the museum difficult to see from street level, Hurtado told KSL News. Plans for the replacement call for an above-ground structure with abundant natural light and a more recognizable presence in the city, according to KSL.
Portland, Oregon-based architecture firm Allied Works will design the new building, the Tribune reports. Plans include a cafe, multipurpose community and event spaces, and several gallery spaces with natural light. The current UMOCA building is scheduled to close on July 10, 2027. The new museum is expected to open in 2031, the same year the organization marks its 100th anniversary.
What Happens While the Museum Is Being Rebuilt
During construction, UMOCA plans to operate from a temporary facility that has not yet been announced while continuing its regular programming, the Tribune reports. The museum was founded as the Art Barn in 1931, became the Salt Lake Art Center in 1959 and took the name Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in 2011, according to the museum’s history. UMOCA says it reaches more than 123,000 Utah residents and visitors annually.
One Last Show Before the Building Comes Down
Before the old building is demolished, UMOCA is accepting submissions for its final exhibition there, titled So Long. KSL reports that curators are inviting contributions from anyone with a connection to or affection for the building. The exhibition will focus on personal histories and people’s ties to the space, according to the same report.
KSL reported that the final exhibition is expected to become part of the demolition when the building is torn down in July 2027.
