Chicago’s Studio Gang Architects have been selected to design a new Center for Science, Education and Innovation for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Named after its largest donor, the $325 million Gilder Center will include 218,000-square-feet of existing and new space. It is slated to open on Columbus Avenue at 79th Street on the west side of the Museum campus, in conjunction with its 150th anniversary in 2019–2020.
“It was apparent that Jeanne Gang embraced the Museum’s legacy in science and education, and she has demonstrated a pervasive sensitivity to sustainability and the relationship between nature and the built environment, particularly in urban settings,” said Ms. Futter. “Jeanne’s approach could not be more appropriate, since introducing New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to science and the natural world is what the Museum has done since its founding in 1869. Throughout her career, Jeanne has shown a special passion for projects that combine innovative, mission-driven design, with a commitment to creating community spaces that facilitate onsite and digital access.”
“I was immediately struck by the immense range of work the Museum is already doing as an educational facility to reach learners of all ages,” said Jeanne Gang, founder and design principal of Studio Gang. “This project and collaboration with the Museum is incredibly important to me and my entire team. The Gilder Center’s holistic mission closely aligns with Studio Gang’s interdisciplinary practice of integrating architecture, nature, science, and art. Designing spaces that facilitate interaction between science, education, and exhibition experiences will make possible the learning the new Gilder Center aspires to generate.”
Ralph Appelbaum of Ralph Appelbaum Associates, who previously designed the exhibits in the Museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space, the fourth-floor fossil halls, and the Hall of Biodiversity, has been chosen to design the exhibition experiences for the Gilder Center.
