Yale Center for British Art building construction and maintenance collection

The Yale Center for British Art was designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974) and completed after his death. The Center was Kahn’s final work and is located across the street from his first commission, the Yale University Art Gallery (opened in 1953). The Center has a sleek, modern aesthetic, and it is the first museum in the United States with incorporated retail space. Notable elements of the design include the juxtaposition of materials similar in color and texture, such as the glass and steel on the façade, the strong geometry of the interior, and the many windows that bathe objects in diffused natural light. In 2005, the Center was awarded the Twenty-Five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects.