The Gilder Center, an extension of New York’s American Museum of Natural History, is opening to the public tomorrow.
The centre was designed by local firm Studio Gang with a façade clad in pink granite that aims to give the impression that the building was shaped by the flow of wind and water.
The 150-year-old museum covers four-blocks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The extension will give it a new western entrance, as well as better internal links between the campus’ 25 buildings.
A centre’s atrium was constructed using shotcrete sprayed onto rebar cages that were digitally modelled and custom-bent. This leads to exhibits such as the five-storey Collections Core which houses 3 million scientific specimens, the Invisible Worlds exhibition, which demonstrates how life on Earth is interconnected, a butterfly vivarium, an insectarium, a research library and education areas.
Jeanne Gang, the founder of Studio Gang, said: “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. When you step into the Gilder Centre, 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.”
Further Reading:
