Abstract
A correct artwork preservation requires strict values of several microclimate parameters, in particular temperature, humidity, and light. In existing museums, the evaluation of the effectiveness of current building plant systems and management is essential to avoid artwork deterioration. In this work, we propose the use of five simple performance indexes that use monitored data to estimate the suitability of the whole museum system in the maintenance of benchmark values of temperature, humidity, and light. The new indexes also take into account microclimate daily span and spatial homogeneity, which can represent a criticality in the preservative process. We apply these new indexes to the results of a monitoring campaign in Palazzo Blu, a museum in Pisa, which lasted for almost four months during a temporary exhibition on Toulouse-Lautrec works. The indexes show a mainly acceptable instantaneous microclimate, but HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) system improvement is necessary to avoid high thermo-hygrometric daily span. This methodology is useful for the identification of microclimate criticalities and can help the cooperation between conservation experts and professionals giving hints to improve museum internal microclimate. In case ofalready optimal microclimate, these indexes can be useful in more complex analyses, including simulations of possible retrofit actions, keeping microclimate suitability as a constraint.
Highlights
A correct artwork preservation requires strict values of several microclimate parameters, in particular temperature, humidity, and light
Performance Index related to the wider range (P.I.*), which identifies the percentage of time in which microclimate—in terms of temperature and relative humidity—occurs in the monitored environment remaining within the more tolerant range; Light Suitability Index (L.S.I.), which identifies the percentage of time in which illuminance does not exceed the maximum allowed limit; Daily Span Index (D.S.I.), which identifies the percentage of days in which the maximum values of temperature and relative humidity span do not exceed the allowed limits; Spatial Homogeneity Index (S.H.I.), which identifies the percentage of time in which microclimate is sufficiently homogeneous in the defined volume, according to the allowed spatial variations
This can be ascribed to the utilization of heating system during nights, while the ventilation system is switched off: a possible solution can be the use of humidifiers or the use of Air Handling Unit (AHU) for a few hours before the museum opening
Summary
Artworks need strict microclimate conditions to be preserved. Each typology of artwork (e.g., paper, frescoes, paintings, stones) needs specific microclimate conditions for their preservation; in general, typical environmental parameters to be controlled are:. Technical standard UNI 10829 [1] lists acceptable values for illuminance and optimal and acceptable ranges for temperature and relative humidity (in some cases, it is not possible to achieve, at the same time, visitor comfort and correct conditions for artwork preservation [6]). The technical standard helps technicians, suggesting two ranges of temperature and relative humidity to be maintained: a strict range and a more tolerability range. If microclimate is in the strict range, degradation of artworks does not occur. If microclimate is in the tolerability range, degradation does not occur if temperature and relative humidity variations are not too wide or frequent. Several other examples of artworks damaged by inappropriate microclimate can be found in [7,8]
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