The Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation: AMNH

We visited the newest wing of the American Museum of Natural History, The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation on Friday after my husband shared photos of the atrium’s signature biomorphic shapes. A sucker for organic shapes, in any art form, the pull to check it out felt strong.

Disappoint it did not. From the exterior curves and reflected sky in the bird-proof fritted glass, to the enveloping light-filled cave of Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium, I was smitten. The Gilder Center’s unique, organic design is informed by the natural paths wind and water carve into landscapes that [beckon exploration], as well as the forms that water etches in blocks of ice, as explained by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang in this segment of CBS Sunday Morning, who designed the new wing.

I love a good curved wall. Needless to say, I was in my element. Each new turn provided a different interesting composition. There was a feeling of being in the earth, in the bones of it, in the marrow of exploration, and then up through the windows a connection to the cosmos. The exhibits are modern and engaging, a symbiotic environment for a place of discovery. For if we wish to inspire young minds in the advancement and protection of our future, a return to nature, even more so as we embrace the digital age, feels like a good place to start.“Pelvis 1,” 1944 by Georgia O’Keeffe.“Pelvis IV,” 1944 by Georgia O’Keeffe.“Pedernal-From the Ranch #1,” 1956 by Georgia O’Keeffe.“Pelvis Series, Red with Yellow,” 1945 by Georgia O’Keeffe ©Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.The Reading Room in the David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Research Library and Learning Center.Reminiscent of Eero Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center, from a post about the now TWA Hotel that I made in 2020.iPhone snaps Beth Horta for Sweet Sabelle.