Studio Gang has completed work on the $465 million new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Coinciding with the official public opening today, the museum has shared first photos of the project, showcasing the 230,000-square-foot wing that replaces several outdated small buildings with new education and exhibition spaces, a theater, storage, laboratories, insectarium, and butterfly vivarium.
Michael Kimmelman recently gave the project a rave review, exalting its merits as a well-detailed and materials-rich environment with the intangible staying power to last for generations.
The wing features exhibition designs from Ralph Appelbaum Associates and a parametric five-story central atrium made from shotcrete and engineered in place with the help of Arup. The Center then connects to the museum's ten other buildings in 33 places, with a grand staircase placed to the east orientation that can also double as a seating area and space for public gatherings.
“The architecture taps into the desire for exploration and discovery that is so emblematic of science and also such a big part of being human,” Studio Gang says in a project description. “When you step into the Gilder Center, you immediately feel a sense of wonder. You can glimpse the different exhibits and see how to move between them. The building invites you on a journey toward deeper understanding, sparking your curiosity and helping you find the amazing organisms and knowledge inside.”
The museum's former Director Ellen Futter told the Guardian she wants the new addition to “put science back into people’s methods of understanding of the world.”
The building comes clad in Milford Pink Granite and with a social purpose to match its education aims, completed with bird-safe glass, windows set for passive cooling, an irrigation system, adaptive plantings, and a renewed entryway at Columbus Avenue.
The plan features a total of 18 classroom spaces and includes a new waiter service restaurant overlooking the atrium on the second floor of the Gilder Center, with a special menu inspired by “regional and global influences.”
“As a scientist, I’m excited that the Gilder Center will reveal more of the cross-disciplinary processes of science and be a powerful springboard for an even deeper integration of the Museum’s ongoing research with our exhibition program and education initiatives — all while inspiring our visitors to appreciate and learn about how all life on Earth is connected,” Museum President Sean M. Decatur said finally.
More information about the project can be found here.
6 Comments
The intersections between planar surfaces and whacky walls are always interesting to me in such projects. Toyo Ito had a rather blunt approach in Taichung - flat ceilings simply terminated curvy walls. Mecanoo opted for a more total vibe in Kaoshiung and the recent organic-looking projects in China by Open and MAD have also attempted to add as much non-planar walking surfaces as possible.
The grand-daddy has always been OMA's Jussieu idea from the '80s - ramps and wafts all the way.
It's a minor point, but the awkwardly staged people are distracting and off-brand for Baan's "documentary" style.
I think Baan sold out long ago for commercial photography. Sadly.
Looks similar to Antonio Gaudi's incredible stone work
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