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Exhibitions in general and loans in particular still appear to be driving median and relatively tight climatic parameters for collection environments. This paper explores the impact of international loans on the adaptation of more sustainable climate control strategies. By offering a description of the complexities and (un)certainties associated with international loan policies that moves beyond the climate parameters, it explores why a more pragmatic approach to environmental control strategies is impeded. It describes how the Getty Conservation Institute’s Managing Collection Environments initiative is addressing this impasse and gives some suggestions for moving the debate forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the design and building of a museum by cultural institutions to be located in Aarhus, Denmark. Topics discussed include the details of the overall project comprising of history, art, and city archive museums, the total area and size of the storage facilities in the proposed museums along with its climate evaluation, and the special needs and challenges for the project. The article also includes the details of the storage facilities and private working areas in the proposed museum project.

The article discusses a research study conducted into the evaluation of microclimate conditions in the environment withing museum enclosures for art objects. Topics discussed include the use of lead-based piezolectric quartz crystal (PQC) as the material for monitoring museum enclosures, the experiments conducted using dosimeters, and their use on test frames. The article also includes the results of the performed research tests using L-PQC crystals and the conclusion derived from the research project.

This paper introduces a Human and Building Interaction Toolkit (HABIT) for simulating the thermally adaptive behaviors and comfort of office occupants alongside building energy consumption. The toolkit uses the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) to co-simulate a field-tested, agent-based behavior model with an EnergyPlus medium office model. The usefulness of the toolkit is demonstrated through a series of zone and building-level case study simulations that examine the wisdom of pairing local heating and cooling options with strategic thermostat set point offsets, judging from the energy, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), and cost perspectives. Results generally suggest that trading efficient local heating/cooling options for whole space conditioning has both energy and comfort benefits, saving up to 28% of monthly HVAC energy while improving the acceptability of thermal conditions in a Philadelphia climate. Nevertheless, cost analysis shows that the fuel source of conserved energy must be considered – particularly in the case of personal heater use, which adds to electric plug loads and associated utility and CO 2 emissions cost penalties. Moreover, costs from even small changes in simulated occupant productivity tend to overwhelm energy costs, suggesting the need to improve the accuracy and precision of available productivity models across multiple seasons and climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary age, the museum is dealing with unexpected challenges, related to the transformation of social structures, educative methods and cultural diffusion. Close to traditional structure, educational centers, amusement spaces, bookshops, conference rooms, shops, and restaurants arise. Refurbishment, restoration, and conversion of heritage buildings into exhibition spaces involve a series of conservation risks. Environmental and energy quality depends on achieving the right balance among several parameters, such as: public enjoyment, human comfort, communications, preventive conservation, energy consumption, and safety precautions. The research presents a simplified evaluation method for assessing the environmental and energy quality of museum buildings. It is structured in three phases: 1. Environmental performance evaluation considering the needs of preventive conservation and human comfort; 2. Energy performance evaluation; 3. Assessment of the environmental and energy quality, considering the integration between the previous evaluations. The tool has been applied in fifty European museums, to compare environmental and energy performance and identify the most common problems, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. The method suggests a strategic and repeatable approach for balancing care, enhancement, and energy efficiency of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of 1-year measurement of indoor environment parameters (temperature, relative humidity, CO 2 concentration) in exhibition rooms of one Polish museum in various periods of the year, and the results of simulation on thermal model of this building. The influence of a temperature control scheme in museum rooms on heating and cooling demand was analysed. The actual state (poor control of internal temperature) and ideal control of internal temperature were analysed – two cases in the winter and two cases in the summer. Simulations were performed by ESP-r program. The multi-zone model of the building was validated based on measurement data. Measurements and simulations revealed significant variations in the temperature in the rooms of the museum. The analysis showed that the maintaining internal temperature at constant level of 20 °C in winter reduces monthly heat demand in most of the exhibition rooms. Obtained effect is 5–16% depending on the premises. Provision the raise of a temperature by 1 K results in the increase of heat consumption by 6%. Maintenance of a desired internal temperature, which does not exceed 24 °C in the summer, requires the provision of coolness to the museum premises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immovable historical relics in some archeology museums of China suffer deterioration due to their improper preservation environment. The existing environmental control systems used in archeology museums are often designed for the amenities of visitors, and these manipulated environments are often inappropriate for the conservation of abiotic relics. This paper points out that the large open space of the existing archeology museum could be a cause of deterioration of the relics from the point of view of indoor air convective flow. The paper illustrates the need to introduce a local pit environmental control, which could reintegrate a pit primitive environment for the preservation of the historical relics by using an air curtain system, orientated to isolate the unearthed relics, semiexposed in pits to the large gallery open space of the exhibition hall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Museum buildings perform ambitious demands for sound conditions of exhibits and comfort of visitors. There is a narrow allowance for room temperature and relative humidity, which has to be maintained for varying situations of weather and occupancy. Lighting has to assure an excellent visual performance but to avoid deterioration of exhibits. Energy consumption can be kept extremely low contrariwise. Several high quality and low energy museum buildings could be realized recently by utilization of energy efficient measures and renewable energies. Outstanding pieces of architecture, e.g. Kolumba Art Museum, Cologne (architect P. Zumthor), Emil-Schumacher-Museum, Hagen (architect M. Lindemann), are presented and integrated advanced technologies like thermal active room surfaces, low air change ventilation, geothermal heating and cooling, and controlled daylighting are explained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses a case study which simulated the impact of temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) on historical documents being stored in the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences (MAST) in Rio de Janero, Brazil. It comments on the inadequacies of the storage system, as well as analyzes the benefits of the proposed move of storage locations and its associated climate control conditions.

Despite the fact that there have been investigations into the historical development oj indoor climate recommendations, to date very little research has been carried out on how climate control in museums was actually implemented in the past. This article examines the development of climate control in two Swedish museum buildings up until the 1930s: Nationalmuseum and Gripsholm Castle. Nationalmuseum was erected to make the state collections more accessible to the public and to provide monitoring and central heating. At that time knowledge of climatic conditions in museums was tacit and based on personal experience rather than on scientific studies. However, in the early twentieth century the problem of managing museum climate increased as curators became more aware of the dehydrating effects of central heating on panels and polychrome wood. The first successful attempts to automatically control indoor climate were carried out at Gripsholm in the 1920s. The focus was then on monitoring and controlling temperature rather than relative humidity, but these early attempts also showed that extreme levels of humidity could be avoided in an environment that had never been designed for permanent heating. This article examines attempts at managing indoor climate between the 1860s and the 1930s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the concepts of the slow movements can be applied to conservation. It examines the roots of preventive conservation, the relationship between the museum environment and the global environment and ways in which museums can reduce their environmental footprint. Links are made between sustainability and traditional conservation practices from different countries and periods. It is proposed that the long-term sustainability of museums depends on the value that the public place on them, and this can be built through the engagement of trainees, volunteers and the public through conservation. The impact of international loan exhibitions in driving common environmental specifications which reflect international standards rather than tile local climate and tile energy consumption that is involved in achieving these conditions is discussed. Finally, a manifesto for slow conservation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results are reported of a systematic programme of electrical resistance measurement (ERM) of copper and silver corrosion rates within various museum environments, directed towards developing preventive conservation understanding and practice. Electrical resistivity measurements were made using copper and silver probes for one month and one year in 33 locations, and these are interpreted in comparison with two standards. Advantages and drawbacks of different methods available for the evaluation of the corrosion aggressiveness of indoor air are discussed. Practical solutions are proposed for improving the protection of metal objects collections. Improvements are also proposed to maximize the efficiency and suitability of the measuring device to the very specific applications of cultural heritage collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last 40 years have seen major changes in the sources and concentrations of urban pollution (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide and particles). During this time, research has advanced our understanding of the impact of pollutants on objects in urban museums. As a consequence, pollutant control has become an important aspect of preventive conservation. There is also increased awareness of the need for pollution control strategies that are sustainable at an organizational and global level. This paper, prepared by a chemist, a conservator and two building scientists, reviews strategies for minimizing the impact of urban pollution on museum collections. The results of new research funded by the UK government identify current (1999) internal pollution levels in both naturally ventilated and air-conditioned museums with particle and gaseous filtration, in relation to external concentrations, ventilation strategies, and the characteristics of the internal fabric and finishes of these buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the maintenance of appropriate temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions for protecting cultural property in museums, discussing the author's research on the use of a computer model to simulate indoor environmental conditions for a storage building of the Sekisui Museum in Mie Prefecture, Japan. It notes the computer program Thermal and Airflow Network Model Simulation Program (NETS) was used. Topics include the need to adapt the model for spaces containing a large volume of porous, hygroscopic materials and the impact of a 2009 seismic retrofitting carried out on the building on its indoor temperature variations.

The article presents information on a study of the storage conditions for archaeological iron in museums throughout Sweden. The author focuses on information provided by the database "Gunnel," explores the climatic conditions and relative humidity (RH) needed to store archaeological iron, and compares the storage conditions for archaeological iron to that of ethnological iron.