Alumnus and former senior fellow of Yale’s board, Edward Bass, has pledged $160 million to the Peabody Museum of Natural History.
The Peabody Museum of Natural History will spend the money on its renovation and expansion.
This renovation will be the first major development on the museum since it opened in 1925. It will substantially increase exhibit space and on-site collections.
The renovation will be carried out by Centerbrook Architects & Planners.
Centerbrook will construct a four-story infill addition between the Peabody and neighboring Environmental Science Center (ESC) on Science Hill. The infill will feature a new glass entrance tower and a sky lit four-story central gallery.
Centerbrook Principal Mark Simon, FAIA, said: “Our additions will create many new educational spaces for Yale undergraduates, who will use the collections for hands-on learning in liberal arts as well as the sciences. Circulation of people and things throughout the complex will be more efficient, rational and intuitive. The place is very complex, with interlocking technology and structure, yet we hope to make it simple for all to understand and use. We are also greatly improving its sustainability, from energy use to wellness betterments.”
Donor Edward Bass told the New York Times: “I see institutions as having the power to transmit and perpetuate a set of fundamental values, and to do so generation to generation.” He added that Yale is a strong institution with a long history: “It’s been more than 300 years, so I have some faith.”
The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is one of the oldest and largest university-based natural history museums. It opened to the public in 1925 and contains more than 13 million objects in 10 different divisions. It showcases more than 4 billion years of geological, biological, and human history. It attracts tourists and is also a valuable resource for students and staff at Yale.
Image Courtesy Centerbrook Architects and Planners
Edward Bass’s Mega-Gift of $160 Million Will ‘Transform’ Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History
