American Museum of Natural History, Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation

Photos by Renfro Design Group

2023
Studio Gang,
Davis Brody Bond
New York, NY

23,000 GSF New construction and renovation

Museums & Galleries,
Exhibitions

Renfro Design Group (RDG) was selected to serve as the architectural lighting designer for the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation. RDG’s scope of work included architectural lighting for the Insectarium, Vivarium, Great Hall, Theater, and various classrooms and offices, as well as lighting for the landscape and the building’s exterior.

The site of the new center creates a bold new entrance to the museum along Columbus Avenue. The contemporary design of the Great Hall was influenced by pure forms molded by powerful elements in nature such as wind, water, ice and glaciers. The organic concrete structure creates a sculptural environment that both celebrates the natural forms it emulates and inspires visitor creativity. The lighting reinforces these elements, with natural sunlight illuminating the monumental space by day. In the evenings, electric lighting tucked into skylight apertures provides a seamless transition when sun sets, with uplights strategically located to illuminate the space at a more intimate scale reminiscent of a campfire in a canyon.

The new center also houses a variety of new exhibit spaces ranging from a five-story collections core exhibiting millions of specimens and artifacts previously hidden in storage; a 6,000 SF Insectarium hosting both live insects and educational exhibits; a year-round butterfly Vivarium “living” exhibit; and an immersive theater exploring the “Invisible Worlds” around us. With the architectural lighting weaving these spaces together, a more cohesive museum experience is achieved, both inspiring to visitors and encouraging further scientific discovery.