Today’s curators and scientists are equally well-versed in the subject of evolution. As galleries adapt to the new needs of contemporary artworks — usually by introducing bigger, more flexible exhibition spaces — many are also re-evaluating their collections to better spotlight previously overlooked talents. Meanwhile, science museum educators are working overtime to teach the value of research, study and analysis during a time of environmental and biological crisis.
Two of this year’s major cultural architecture projects show how the latest generation of institutional expansions is navigating these shifts. In April, Studio Gang unveiled the Gilder Center, its long-awaited addition to New York’s American Museum of Natural History. Two months later, OMA (which worked alongside Cooper Robertson as executive architect) welcomed visitors to the revamped Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright–Knox). In keeping with the recent tradition of museum architecture, both project teams have delivered the type of sculptural spectacle that has become a must ever since Gehry took Bilbao. But the beauty of the two structures is more than
