The Yale Peabody Museum Revitalization Project is a complete renovation and re-installation of this iconic Museum, including its exhibition halls and collections. Each gallery showcases the stunning collections and celebrates the University’s heritage and leading-edge research.
Details
Client
Yale University
Project
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Size
44,000 sq. ft.
Scope
Exhibit Design, Graphic Design, Wayfinding
Location
New Haven, CT, USA
Year Completed
2024
Budget
$13,000,000
Impact
Projected Visitor Increase
100,000 additional visitors a year
Number of galleries updated:
23
The Goal
Comprising of more than 40,000 sq. ft. and 23 galleries, the project celebrates the institution’s unique research heritage while establishing a new legacy. Galleries focus on the University’s impact and collections, with object-centered displays that feature field work and students’ current research. The flexible exhibition system is designed to adapt as science and research advances, and as collections are rotated. To achieve this, a modular system of cases and graphic systems is being deployed across all galleries. The Museum wants their visitors to look closely, to find meaning, and to leave with an increased appreciation for the stories told by objects of natural history.
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
The Design
The design of the galleries offers visitors a new and holistic opportunity to explore the heritage building and the collections. The reimagined halls allow the Museum’s objects to stimulate curiosity and invite engagement. To unify yet distinguish the thematic galleries and diverse topics, the design draws from archival research assets to create graphic motifs, imagery and colors. Specimen images populate the information panels, colors act as a wayfinding element to identify galleries, and collection images are reproduced at dramatic scale across walls. A special highlight is Rudolph Zallinger’s world-famous fresco “The Age of Reptiles”, one of the most well-known and beloved paleontological murals in the world.
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
The Result
The renewed galleries offer an invigorated, fresh new experience. Visitors will have a relevant and exciting experience interacting with the collections, activating a sense of discovery and curiosity as visitors find their place in the arc of the displays. The galleries will foster connections between students, faculty, and visitors and showcase fundamental scientific themes and spectacular collections, which are always be ready for new ideas, objects and interpretation.
Photo courtesy of Francis Dzikowski
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Photo courtesy of Francis Dzikowski
Details
Client
Yale University
Project
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Size
44,000 sq. ft.
Scope
Exhibit Design, Graphic Design, Wayfinding
Location
New Haven, CT, USA
Year Completed
2024
Overview
The Yale Peabody Museum Revitalization Project is a complete renovation and re-installation of this iconic Museum, including its exhibition halls and collections. Each gallery showcases the stunning collections and celebrates the University’s heritage and leading-edge research.
Impact
Projected Visitor Increase
100,000 additional visitors a year
Number of galleries updated:
23
The Goal
Comprising of more than 40,000 sq. ft. and 23 galleries, the project celebrates the institution’s unique research heritage while establishing a new legacy. Galleries focus on the University’s impact and collections, with object-centered displays that feature field work and students’ current research. The flexible exhibition system is designed to adapt as science and research advances, and as collections are rotated. To achieve this, a modular system of cases and graphic systems is being deployed across all galleries. The Museum wants their visitors to look closely, to find meaning, and to leave with an increased appreciation for the stories told by objects of natural history.
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
The Design
The design of the galleries offers visitors a new and holistic opportunity to explore the heritage building and the collections. The reimagined halls allow the Museum’s objects to stimulate curiosity and invite engagement. To unify yet distinguish the thematic galleries and diverse topics, the design draws from archival research assets to create graphic motifs, imagery and colors. Specimen images populate the information panels, colors act as a wayfinding element to identify galleries, and collection images are reproduced at dramatic scale across walls. A special highlight is Rudolph Zallinger’s world-famous fresco “The Age of Reptiles”, one of the most well-known and beloved paleontological murals in the world.
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
Photo courtesy of R&P
The Result
The renewed galleries offer an invigorated, fresh new experience. Visitors will have a relevant and exciting experience interacting with the collections, activating a sense of discovery and curiosity as visitors find their place in the arc of the displays. The galleries will foster connections between students, faculty, and visitors and showcase fundamental scientific themes and spectacular collections, which are always be ready for new ideas, objects and interpretation.
