American Museum of Natural History

Kohler Ronan has completed a wide array of projects at the American Museum of Natural History. This project involved interior and exterior restoration of both the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda and the Central Park West (CPW) Entrance. This work included conservation of murals, repair and restoration of finishes, repair and restoration of exterior stonework, HVAC, lighting, acoustics, and life safety systems upgrades. New exhibits related to Theodore Roosevelt also were developed as part of the project.

Our work incorporated upgrades to MEP/FP systems including brand new HVAC equipment addressing temperature and humidity control within the rotunda. Additionally, the HVAC heating system serving the museum’s interior revolving doors required redesign. This posed a challenge as systems design had to meet stringent interior landmark approvals. With the goal set, our team carefully designed the HVAC system to fit within the revolving pocket doors, hidden from view. Our scope of work also included energy-efficient lighting designs and necessary life safety systems — both for the main entry spaces and the porte-cochere.

The CPW entrance handles the majority of visitors to the museum with patrons coming from the subway on the lower level, and those passing through the second-floor rotunda. The redesigned spaces will not only facilitate entry to the museum, but better showcase both existing and new exhibits.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo Associates