Innovation meets mission.

Designed by Studio Gang (with executive architect Davis Brody Bond), the 5-story Gilder Center Addition to the Museum of Natural History features undulating forms inspired by the movement of ice and water. 

To enclose the curved concrete structure, Island fabricated 156 galvanized steel subframes as a series of megapanels to carry over 6,000 CNC-carved stone rainscreen modules. The rainscreen cladding itself, a Milford Pink granite, was sourced from the same quarry as the original building (in Hopkinton, MA).

Island’s team worked in a Design-Assist capacity to facilitate the collaboration required to realize the ambitious geometric and architectural detailing for the envelope scope. In the early stages, project-specific computational scripts were embedded within the native 3D model to optimize the surface geometry, quantify stone volume/yield, and coordinate shipping & handling constraints for delivery to site.

This ‘3D WireFrame’ model formed the basis of Island’s approach to the digital delivery and CNC-driven manufacturing process of the facade, assisting in managing assembly tolerances for hundreds of thousands of one-off components. Each frame, bracket, girt, and cladding element was fabricated on-campus by Island’s CNC operations – processing raw materials on laser-cutting beds, robotic welding stations, and 5-axis milling centers.

During assembly, a virtual scan of our fabrication halls created a ‘digital’ shop-floor, for fabricated units to be checked against a Total-Station set of common grid points. This approach followed suit for on-site operations, where the same laser-guided survey marked critical dimensions for anchors, brackets, and final megapanel geometry/joinery during installation.

Project Information:

• Location: New York, NY

• Year Completed: 2023 (Island scope)

• Certification: Targeting LEED Gold Certification

• Facade Area: 20,052 SF

• Panel Count: 156

• Island Services Provided:

  • Design Assist

  • Shop Drawings & Engineering

  • Mockups & Testing

  • Fabrication

  • Installation

Learn More:

• Studio Gang, Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History (studiogang.com)

• Architecture Review: The AMNH’s Gilder Center (curbed.com)

• New York Times, Wonder and Awe In Natural History’s Stunning New Wing. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)