The American Museum of Natural History is gearing up to begin construction on their new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, on their Upper West Side campus. Construction had been stalled due to litigation after community groups attempted to block the project which will be built on a quarter-acre portion of land from the existing Theodore Roosevelt Park; despite this, the state appeals court recently dismissed the last appeal blocking work on the museum’s new addition. The 5-story educational center is designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects with the exhibition spaces being designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and landscape design by Reed Hilderbrand. The Gilder Center will feature 230,000 SF of exhibition spaces, galleries, learning spaces, laboratories, imaging facilities, visualization theaters, classrooms and collection space. Additional programs will include the Invisible Worlds Theater, the Museum Library, an insect hall, and additional "exhibition niches." The American Museum of Natural History expects the Gilder Center to open by 2021.
