In 2002, an international competition was launched by the museum to design a Master Plan for the future renewal of its galleries.
The New York architect, Steven Holl, designed the museum's expansion. After successive elimination rounds, the agency Confino won the competition.A complex process then began between the curators, staff and board of the museum to imagine together a natural history museum for the 21st century that would address fundamental questions in a direct or metaphorical manner. The Master Plan was submitted in August 2003 to Museum President Jane Pisano. It was completed in 2005.
The new galleries opened between 2007 and 2011.