Yale Center for British Art

Louis Kahn – street New Haven, Connecticut, USA, 1953-1974

Lo Yale Centre for British Art at Yale University, in downtown New Haven, Connecticut, houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. The collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, rare books, and manuscripts reflects the development of British art and culture from the Elizabethan period onwards.
The exterior is made of opaque steel and reflective glass; the interior is travertine, white oak, and Belgian linen. Kahn succeeded in creating intimate galleries in which objects can be viewed in diffused natural light. Kahn wanted to have as much daylight as possible, with artificial lighting used only on dark days or in the evening. The building's design, materials, and sky-lit rooms combine to provide an environment for the artworks that is simple and dignified.