Visitors wandering through the Richard Pousette-Dart exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum seem oblivious to the scaffolding and hard hats in their midst. But for the people behind the scenes, the work unfolding within the museum’s curved white walls is as engrossing as the art displayed on them.

For the last three years a team of engineers, conservators and architects has been studying the guts of the Guggenheim, mapping out a thorough but respectful renovation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiraling building on Fifth Avenue, completed in 1959. Although it was clearly in serious need of renewal, with cracks in its facade, a decaying sidewalk and outdated mechanical systems, experts wanted to make a comprehensive diagnosis before determining the best course of treatment.

Now they have a plan — already in action — and the end is in sight. The work is expected to be completed by summer 2008. “It’s taken us three years to get to the point where we’re actually intervening,” said Pamela Jerome of Wasa Studio, the preservation architect on the project.

Read full article (New York Times, September 10, 2007)
Face-lift for an aging museum

Related posts:  Restoration of ‘David’ in front of a live audience  //  Are Guggenheim’s True Colors Shining Through?  //

This entry was posted on dinsdag, september 11th, 2007 at 1:22 am and is filed under Architecture, Museum, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.