American Museum of National History

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) first opened its doors on April 6, 1869, in New York City. Less than 10 years later, the museum having outgrown its original home in Central Park’s Arsenal Building, President Ulysses S. Grant “laid the cornerstone” for its current location. Today the museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of insects, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, anthropological artifacts, and fossils. The institution has recently unveiled its most remarkable addition ever—the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space.

Located on Central Park West at 79th Street, AMNH is a magnificent site encompassing 23 buildings. In 1991 the museum identified a need to renovate the fourth floor of the complex. Upon analyzing the many HVAC control systems throughout the complex, facility managers decided to use American Auto-Matrix (AAM) products in the renovation because of their outstanding reliability and low-maintenance requirements.

Based on the performance of AAM products in the facility, AMNH—with the assistance of T.E.C. Systems, AAM’s authorized Solution Integrator in New York—has installed comprehensive AAM direct digital control systems that regulate various exhibits and HVAC environments throughout the museum. The generation-to-generation compatible AAM building automation system allows the museum to continually expand, upgrade, and improve building automation with technologically advanced controls.

AAM controls are used to regulate environments for AMNH exhibits that demand precise temperature and humidity levels. One example is Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester: A Masterpiece of Science exhibit. Leonardo’s Codex Leicester: A Masterpiece of Science was a temporary exhibit that displayed the last privately held manuscript by Leonardo da Vinci in the United States. In order to preserve the manuscript during its stay, AMNH placed AAM controls in special climate-controlled display cases that strictly regulate the amount of light exposure.

In February 2000, AMNH opened the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space—designed to take museum visitors on a journey to the furthest outskirts of the universe. This newly constructed facility uses a comprehensive AAM direct digital control system to automate and control all aspects of its environment. From heating and cooling to central point operation and critical system monitoring, AAM building controls offer complete system integration.

The focus of this amazing structure is the Hayden Planetarium, an 87-foot sphere that seemingly leavitates in a glass cube. The one-of-a-kind planetarium houses the most innovative Sky Theater in existence and exhibits technology used to create astronomical recreations of unprecedented realism. Crucial to the experience is a customized one-of-a-kind Zeiss Star Projector. This device, the most technologically advanced projector in the world, offers very realistic views of the universe. AAM controls monitor and regulate temperature and humidity levels to ensure that the projector’s highly sensitive lenses and electronics operate properly.

As the technology-driven museum evolves, AAM Smart Building Solutions will naturally evolve with it.