The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is to open its new location in New York on 22 September.

The new 14,000sq ft space, located in a former machine shop, was designed by Maya Lin and will boast multiple exhibition galleries, interactive display kiosks, a multipurpose auditorium/classroom, a research centre and a space for multidisciplinary public programmes.

MOCA’s core exhibition is called “With a single step: Stories in the making of America”, which presents the “diverse layers of the Chinese American experience while examining America’s journey as a nation of immigrants”.

The museum is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, as well from various foundations, corporations and partners.

“From its community-based roots, MOCA’s new home marks its emergence as a national institution,” said Jonathan Ligh, chair of MOCA’s Board of Trustees.

“Our institutional capacity will increase six-fold and allow us to house a range of exhibitions and programmes to facilitate a deeper and broader dialogue about Chinese American history, identity, and culture.”

The original museum was founded nearly 30 years ago by two Chinese Americans, Charles Lai and John Juo Wei Tchen.