Yale Center for British Art — 1977

History

Some years after the completion of his Yale University Art Gallery building, Louis Kahn undertook the design of the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) just across Chapel Street. The four-story structure with a matte steel and glass façade was Kahn’s final work, completed after his death in 1974. The Center’s interior is organized around two courtyards. Rooftop skylights let in natural light that is then diffused through a series of baffles and filters. So successful is this process that artificial light need only be used at night and on cloudy days. The Yale Center for British Art was the first museum in the country to include street-level retail shops in its design, so as to maintain the commercial life of the street. In 1998, a renovation replaced the roof, interior carpets and wall fabrics, and a  worn-out cooling system.

Did You Know?

The YCBA has the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside of the United Kingdom.