The Yale Center for British Art; A Tribute to the Genius of Louis I. Kahn

With the accomplished photographer David Finn at his side, Robinson presents the building to us inside and out - from its formal welcoming atrium to the armchair comfort of its galleries, to the serene and well-ordered offices and study spaces - as a successful, living museum. Along the way on this very personal guided tour, he enlightens us as only he could on the history of the museum, on the experience of viewing this particular art collection in its setting, and on a host of architectural and decorative details, from carpets and door-knobs to vaulted skylights. Throughout he draws our attention to the dual nature of the Center as both a public museum and a research institute, a concept well understood and beautifully articulated in Kahn's organization of the building around two interior courts.
The Yale Center for British Art is a building that works equally well for research scholars, for third-graders on their first visit to a museum, and for seasoned art lovers. No more and no less than any great building, Robinson and Finn show us, the Center is a work of art in its own right.

Duncan Robinson is director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England.