This thesis analyzed recent museum extensions to assess their pedagogical impact. How are contemporary renovations to museum architectures influencing the stories told by museums? As the title of the thesis asks; are new museum architectures simply palatial extensions or do they enable new performative pedagogies? To answer these questions, this thesis examined an interpretively rich point of connection: where new architectures meet permanent collections. To understand how the architecture works on an ideological level, museological theory surveying the sociopolitical history of the museum was paired with learning theory outlining progressive educational models. The constructivist concept of scaffolding was applied in relation to pedagogies of the traditional museum to facilitate an investigation of the visitor experience encapsulating sociopolitical histories of the museum. The case studies selected claim their renewals offer new ways of being for the institution and its visitors. Therefore, they present promising opportunities to answer this question. Both the Stedelijk Museum’s and Africa Museum’s architectural extensions included purpose-built re-presentations of permanent collection exhibitions co- created with museum professionals and architects. This thesis aims to contribute a broader understanding of how the current synthesis of these separate domains of expertise is supporting visitors’ experience when they come to the museum.