Yale reopens chemistry building after $200m facelift

Yale University in the US has reopened its Sterling Chemistry Lab following a renovation project that has taken two years and cost nearly $200 million (£150 million) to complete.

The building has been kitted out with state-of-the-art teaching laboratories for chemistry, biology and physics, all under the same roof. ‘This is a little unusual but reflects the growing recognition of the value in cross-fertilisation among the sciences,’ says Steven Girvin, Yale’s deputy provost for research. ‘The project has vastly modernised our teaching spaces and includes modern safety features with a high density of fume hoods, glass walls with good lines of sight and good preparation space.’ Glass walls have been installed throughout the new labs, which the university hopes will encourage groups to collaborate more.

While the building’s ageing internal infrastructure has been completely replaced, the gothic exterior, which was designed in the 1920s by architect Williams Adams Delano, remains unchanged.