Archive for month: February, 2014

A recent review of the History Center on a travel website said that we smell like a musty old museum. Sorry to say it, but I agree!

Providing improved heating, air conditioning and ventilation is an important part of our renovation.  All of our systems have been in place since the expansion in the 1970s and are now being totally replaced to provide an improved environment for our collections and increased comfort for our visitors.

When we replaced our roofs several years ago, we upgraded many of our mechanical systems. (These improvements were a part of the previous phase of our campaign.) We are now connecting these systems to new ductwork and air handling units in all of our public spaces. Fitting all of the larger systems into the building is certainly a challenge for our architects, engineers, and contractors. We can see their creativity in this task as the first major ducts are being installed.

Environmental standards have changed since the 1970s. For the first time, we will be providing both temperature and humidity control in our galleries to assure the long term preservation of objects from our collections.  If you have ever been to an event in our education and public program spaces, you know how uncomfortable they can become.  With our improved and increased air flow, this should not be a problem in the future.

Fresh air, natural light, and innovative programs and exhibitions…and never musty!

Are you curious about our progress? Join us for one of our Hard Hat Happy Hours that occur every Wednesday from 4:30-6:00 p.m. You can contact me for more information or RSVP online and let me know you’ll be coming by.

If you would like to help keep us calm and hammering on, you can support the History Center on our secure donation page at /give.

– Bill Martin, Director

 

While the weather outside was frightful, the work inside was frightening. I really thought that most of the demolition inside the building had been completed. Well…I was wrong! 

There has been the noise of jackhammers everywhere! 

This was the week that large load bearing walls were removed to prepare for the new steel beams waiting to be installed. Suddenly we have even larger open spaces for the Stettinius Community Galleries and the Klaus and Reynolds Costume and Textile Galleries.

I really did not understand fully the magnitude of some of these changes until I saw it for myself this week.

Until the beams are in we have a new art installation (actually it is a complex web of temporary framing – see below) that supports all four floors. While the framing is really beautiful, I know that our staff on the floors above would rather be focused on planning for the new galleries than the constant noise below. With the work on the basement floor, we are now able to look through the entire building from the Wickham House to the education center in the Bransford Cecil House. 

Temporary framing in the Stettinius Community Garden.

The view from the Wickham House into the Sara D. November Education Center

But the renovation fun did not end there, the City also began their major replacement of water and sewer lines on both Clay and 10th Streets. The streets around us have been filled with the sounds of jackhammers pulling up paving along with the movement of trucks and backhoes. VCU continues work on its new building (with lots of new parking) on Broad and 10th. 10th Street will soon be made 2-way providing much easier access to Broad Street.This is work that will change the way we think about our Court End neighborhood.

Water and sewer replacement on Clay Street.