The new Studio Gang-designed Richard Gilder Centre for Science, Education, and Innovation at New York’s American Museum of Natural History is an 18,000 square-metre architectural tour-de-force intended to attract visitors into the wondrous world of science.
“At a time when science education is in crisis in this country, we wanted to get the public excited about four million specimens being showcased in this addition,” the firm’s architect Anika Schwarzwald tells The National. Discovery, she says, is the ultimate goal for each floor – with every door acting like a portal.
Voluptuous and kinetic, the six-story building boasts a towering atrium, uniquely-formed circular windows, fluidly-spread bridges and an overall biomorphic envelope. The $465 million venture includes a 465 square-metre insectarium, a butterfly vivarium, an immersive video projection titled Invisible Worlds, public collection displays, a window-clad library and education centres for both adults and children on the two top floors.
While the Chicago-born architecture firm’s founder Jeanne Gang and her team were inspired by the steep canyons in the American south-west, the concrete-heavy building also recalls DNA cells, prehistoric caves and otherworldly underwater reserves.
As a metaphor for the connection that the institution builds between various histories of living beings on Earth, the design provides access to the museum’s 10 variously-sized existing buildings with over 30 connections.
“The visitors no longer have to circle all the way back once they reach the gems and minerals gallery,” Schwarzwald added. Expanding the 154-year old museum’s access to the public is indeed the project’s primary goal which begins with a new entrance on Columbus Avenue, in addition to its Greco Roman-influenced lofty staircase on Central Park West.
“We are more engaged with the neighbourhood and the local community through this added door,” explains Lauri Halderman, the museum’s vice president for exhibitions. This broad invitation pans out inside into a medley of journeys and discoveries in various sections, such as the insectarium which houses around 500,000 insects that include leafcutter ants, honeybees, and a massive Hercules beetle.
Various interactive screens at the museum’s first insectarium since the original one closed in 1978 ask visitors to magnify different insects’ anatomies or hear sounds of bugs that inhabit the neighbouring Central Park.
Following an initial announcement in 2014, the wing’s construction began in 2019 and faced a short pause due to the pandemic a year later. A freely-connected spacious interior is a design principal with interlocked corridors, elegant arches and breezy bridges that allow natural and artificial lights to blend and “evoke a sense of awe and wonder about the natural world,” says Schwarzwald.
The loose geometry prevalent across the interior relies on the “shotcrete” technique, which was invented by a taxidermist and naturalist who worked at the museum in 1930s. The employee came up with the method of spraying concrete on to a rebar reinforcement to build a diorama. Today, his invention is used large scale for ambitious constructions with bent forms such as tunnels, or in this case, a sculptural building with textured walls.
“What can an object tell us about how the earth has changed over time?” Halderman encourages visitors to ask when they visit Collections Core. The vitrine display includes an array of marine cone snails, fossils, skulls, fish and numerous other specimens.
While the museum’s 34 million object and specimen collection helps answer the vice president’s question, the 12-minute looping film on the third floor surrounds visitors with an alternative look at our relationship with the world. The immersive video – created by Berlin-based production company Tamschick Media+Space in collaboration with museum scientists – travels from the rainforest in Brazil to brain neurons, DNA and finally crescendoes at modern day Central Park.
A library that stocks around 600,000 books on the fourth floor is the new wing’s final gem. The reading room’s generous windows overlook Theodore Roosevelt Park, which is being redesigned by Massachusetts-based landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand. A treelike form anchors the seating area with branches that recall book spines.
Reflecting on the Gilder Centre’s goal of breaking the barriers between humans and the world’s wonders of all sizes, Halderman adds: “There are all these connections that we don’t see with our bare eyes because they are either too fast or too tiny.”
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
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Madrid Open schedule
Men's semi-finals
Novak Djokovic (1) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 6pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11pm
Women's final
Simona Halep (3) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 8.30pm
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Result
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Brraq, Ryan Curatolo (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m; Winner: Bright Melody, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Naval Crown, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m; Winner: Volcanic Sky, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
