Historic Interiors Research Articles

Risk of fracture in massive cultural objects made of lime wood: a case study of Veit Stoss’ altarpiece

Massive cultural objects made of wood are often situated in historic interiors in which they experience uncontrolled dynamic variations of relative humidity (RH). Although the objects usually have acclimatized to the natural climate variability, preventing risks related to any kind of modification of their environment requires an understanding of the object’s response to the expected changes. In the present study, an analysis of the risk of cracking related to continuous or intermittent heating, or the transfer to hypothetically ideal conditions in a conservation studio was performed for the case of elements of Veit Stoss’ altarpiece (1477–1489) preserved in St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow, Poland. Massive sculptures carved in lime wood and approximately one meter in diameter were analysed. The study aimed at determining safe margins of environment modifications that would not cause propagation of cracks that are known to have accumulated in wood during centuries of the altarpiece’s existence. The mechanical properties of lime wood were determined experimentally to feed the numerical model. The energy release rates around the tips of cracks of various depths in a wooden sculpture were calculated using the finite element analysis and compared with the critical value of the parameter triggering the fracture propagation in the material, derived from the fracture energy measurement. It was shown that the church interior housing the altarpiece can be heated to 11 °C during the cold season to provide human comfort. The allowable duration of intermittent heating events to more comfortable 18 °C that would induce drops in RH of up to 40% was assessed as 12 h. The study demonstrated that moving the sculptures to the conservation studio would have to be done with extreme caution as it would be connected with risks depending on the depth of existing cracks and the duration of the RH change.

ALTERNATYWNE PRZESTRZENIE WYSTAWIENNICZE. ANALIZA KOMPARYTYSTYCZNA

The aim of this article is to make a multi-criteria analysis of various exhibition spaces of an originally non-exhibition character and to determine how these spaces affect the selection of works and the exhibition concept. The analysis is based on the exhibitions of art objects at collective exhibitions in unconventional architectural spaces: commercial, post-industrial and in the historic interior. The multi-criteria comparative analysis shows a variety of features of the studied spaces as well as the relationship between architecture and art and their mutual interaction, and the participatory role of the non-exhibition space in the process of creating an exhibition and selecting works has been proven.

The Beginning of the Large-Scale Reconstruction of the Russian State Library: Architecture and Digitalization

The article reveals the foundations of design and research surveys, on the basis of which the Russian State Library (RSL) implemented the project of repair and restoration works for the central entrance of the library. The aim of the works was to adapt the cultural heritage object to modern use. The building complex, conceived in the mid — 1920s, was completed by 1940, but it was not fully commissioned until 1960. In the mid — 1970s, there was insufficient space to store the growing holdings. The front decoration of the central hall suffered enormous damage over the years. In 2019, a negative trend in the condition of the building was revealed. The main book depository was overloaded. The problems of the RSL are combined in a comprehensive investment programme for the reconstruction and restoration of infrastructure facilities. In 2019—2020, design solutions were developed for the repair and restoration of buildings and individual public spaces of the library. In 2021, the first stage of restoration of the entrance group began. The decision was made to carry out the work in a service-preserving environment and the challenge was to transform the very model of service to readers. The team working on the restoration made decisions reflecting the development of 21st century technologies and current standards for the automation of library processes. As a result of the works, new technological channels for the building operation and space for servicing readers were arranged, a climate control system was installed, the power supply and electric lighting system was replaced, historical interiors were restored, modern fire and engineering safety systems were created, a new centralized information and navigation complex for readers was deployed, etc. In 2023, a grandiose historical space was opened for the RSL readers.

In the Heat of the Moment: Testing Fire-Protective Covers for Mitigating Damage to Large Historic Inventories

ABSTRACT Since the 1990s, the Norwegian management for cultural heritage has increased its focus on finding effective solutions for protecting Norway’s wooden cultural heritage from fire damage. The medieval churches in general, including the wooden stave churches, with their interiors and inventories, are of special interest. However, the usefulness of protecting valuable interiors and inventories when fighting fire has been questioned. An experiment was carried out to find manageable solutions for protecting large inventories by using fire covers in case of fire. An experiment using seven commercially available products was conducted by fire fighters to investigate whether these products could protect historic interiors from water and fire. The preliminary results show that it is possible to find manageable, large format covers for the protection of large, immovable historic inventories.

Design and Manufacture of the Banquette Bench for the Historical Interiors of the Instruction Building of the Stieglitz Academy

Design and Manufacture of the Banquette Bench for the Historical Interiors of the Instruction Building of the Stieglitz Academy

Modelling particle deposition onto surfaces in historic buildings

A comprehensive model of indoor particle deposition onto surfaces of historic interiors was developed. The model takes into account the most important deposition processes observed in historic buildings: Brownian and turbulent diffusion, gravitational settling, turbophoresis, and thermophoresis. The developed model is expressed as a function of important parameters characterizing historic interiors: the friction velocity - capturing the effect of the indoor airflow intensity, the difference between the temperature of the air and the surface, and surface roughness. In particular, a new form of the thermophoretic term was proposed to account for an important mechanism of surface soiling driven by frequent large temperature differences between indoor air and surfaces in historic buildings. The form adopted allowed the temperature gradients to be calculated down to low distances from the surfaces and showed insignificant dependence of the temperature gradient on the diameter of particles, which yielded a meaningful physical description of the process. The predictions of the developed model agreed with the outcome of the previous models, in turn correctly interpreting the experimental data. The model was used in simulating the total deposition velocity in a small-size church taken as an example of a historic building, heated in the cold period. The model adequately predicted the deposition processes and proved to be able to map magnitudes of deposition velocities for specific surface orientations. The crucial effect of the surface roughness on the deposition paths was documented.

House and Home in Georgian Ireland, Spaces and Cultures of Domestic Life

One of the pleasures of reading House and Home in Georgian Ireland, Spaces and Cultures of Domestic Life, is the richness of detail which each author of this collected volume commits to its pages. In a series of nine chapters, the book ‘introduces a broader appreciation of the diverse meanings and materialities ascribed to and associated with house and home in eighteenth-century Ireland’ (p. 28), but this might be considered an understatement, as contained within the collection is a wealth of reflections and careful consideration of lives lived in Irish houses during the period. The volume originated with the online conference ‘Species of domestic spaces: house and home in eighteenth-century Ireland’, convened at the Humanities Institute, University College Dublin in June 2021. The book’s editor, Conor Lucey, has captured the breadth of discussion from that event, and incorporated this alongside a series of powerful impressions of intimate historical interiors. Strikingly, the chapters describe lived experiences amid private and public encounters with domestic spaces, incorporating the humblest of interior furnishings in single rooms and lodgings to the most opulent decorative features of Dublin’s finest town houses. Throughout the volume, the writings of Gaston Bachelard and George Perec form an expressive metanarrative to historical accounts of many of the homes that no longer exist, as ‘bit by bit, the house that was lost in the mists of time will appear from out of the shadow ….’ (p. 171).

Capturing the Haipai Spirit: Garden Villa Interiors and the Preservation of Prada Rong Zhai

In 2017, Italian fashion house Prada unveiled to the public its preservation of a century-old mansion in Shanghai, named Rong Zhai.1 In the media, this historic preservation project was widely hailed as a success for its extraordinary craftsmanship and beautifully restored interior elements, displaying a combination of Western cultural influences alongside traditional Chinese architectural details. Rong Zhai is categorized as a Garden Villa, a special type of detached residential architecture that emerged during Shanghai’s “semi-colonial” past.2 Also emerging in the same period is the concept of Haipai, a term that represents both Shanghai’s unique architectural style and the regional culture that embraces multi-culturalism and cosmopolitanism. The following analysis highlights the connection between the Garden Villa and Haipai, arguing that Rong Zhai is a representation of Haipai, particularly evident in the inclusion of interior design elements from both European and Chinese architectural traditions. This connection provides an essential context to understanding the restoration and reuse of Prada Rong Zhai, its popularity, and limitations. Finally, through an investigation of Rong Zhai, we highlight the contributions of Haipai to our understanding of Chinese historic interiors.

Quantifying Housekeeping Challenge and Conservation Need

This simple model, developed by conservators, assists in the challenge of making preventive conservation, housekeeping, and care of historic interiors and collections, physically and economically sustainable, in historic houses welcoming increasing volumes of visitors (a primary source of dust). It introduces objectivity into conservation advice and management decisions: how many collections care staff should each historic house ideally employ, and how large an annual budget is required to fund the non-wage costs of routine preventive and interventive conservation? Are staffing structures rational and consistent, and tailored to the individual and developing circumstances of multiple properties? Eight qualitative and quantitative criteria are each given a score from 1–4 in relation to their data ranges. The total scores for each property are converted to percentages, correlated with staffing structures, and used to estimate the requirements for daily, weekly and annual housekeeping and conservation cleaning. Selected data are used to measure housekeeping performance against weekly targets, and to rationalize the distribution of financial resources for preventive conservation and maintenance. The model can be adapted for use in any museum or heritage building which needs to assess and quantify the routine care of interiors and collections on open display to visitors.

Great Irish Households: Inventories from the long eighteenth century

This volume of Irish inventories is a welcome successor to Tessa Murdoch’s 2009 publication Noble Households: Eighteenth-century inventories of great English houses. In his Foreword, Toby Barnard (whose book Making the Grand Figure: Lives and possessions in Ireland, 1640–1770, published in 2004, did much to promote this topic in Ireland) acknowledges how this Irish project has been built on the pioneering studies of Peter Thornton and of John Cornforth (to whom Murdoch’s earlier volume was dedicated). He rightly observes that the archival record in Ireland is more patchy than in England, not least owing to the disastrous fire in the Four Courts building in Dublin in 1922. But house inventories do survive in various locations, and this is a very welcome harvest. Inventories from eighteen Irish houses are transcribed (the earlier English volume had nineteen). They include three Ormonde inventories, in Kilkenny Castle, Dublin, and in their London house; there are inventories from Lismore Castle, Killadoon, Carton House, Newbridge House and Borris House, and in the north Mount Stewart, Hillsborough Castle and Baronscourt – all residences of important families. These lists are supplemented with fifty-eight illustrations of houses, portraits and individual works of art that feature in the inventories. Like its predecessor, this collection is a cornucopia of information, and while its primary audience will be scholars and curators, there is plenty to be gleaned from the listings for anyone interested in historic interiors.

Thermohygrometric Climate, Insects and Fungi in the Klosterneuburg Monastic Library

The abundance of insect and fungal pests under a changing climate may threaten historic interiors, libraries and museums, with warmer, potentially more humid winters. This work examines local and indoor climate, insects and fungi in a historic library near Vienna. It reveals a mostly dry and cool environment for the storage of books, but few visitors to induce changes. Temperature and relative humidity have been monitored for 12 months (2021-07/2022-07), with 14 monitors positioned insect traps (blunder traps and some pheromone traps). Fungi in air, on surfaces and in settled dust were also sampled. Winter temperatures in library cupboards and behind shelves were slightly warmer (~1 °C) and more humid than in the library environment. Over the last decade there have been infestations of the biscuit beetles (Stegobium paniceum) but since treatment with sulfuryl difluoride, Anthrenus sp. have dominated. Silverfish are also present, but only in one corner. Fungal outbreaks have also been found, but over five years fungi in air samples have shifted from Penicillium commune and P. chrysogenum to Aspergillus sp. The stable environment at Klosterneuburg is suitable for books, yet insects and mould present suggests vigilance remains necessary, as some microenvironments (e.g., cupboards) can be at risk and there may be materials with high water content, hygroscopic or of nutritional value.

THE CONSERVATION FRAMEWORK OF HISTORIC INTERIOR SCHEME AS A GUIDELINE FOR FUTURE HERITAGE MUSEUM PLANNING: A CASE STUDY OF ‘RUMAH TEH BUNGA’ IN GEORGE TOWN PENANG

The heritage museum tourism has rapidly grown, contributing the most incometo Government of Malaysia while receiving local and global tourists. SinceMalaysian museums are among the most important tourism assets for the country, they must be given attention, especially the interior spaces of the museum. The interior spaces carry different stories. Due to their own unique historic interior scheme (HIS), different interior features, room functions, spatial designs, historic materials, finishes, and the associated historical events would fill the interior spaces. Unfortunately, the significance of HIS has gradually disappeared due to the exhibitions in the museums. Accordingly, not only the historic integrity in preserving the heritage museum buildings cannot be complied with, but also the significance of the HIS is not highlighted in the exhibition. This study aimed to propose a HIS conservation framework as a guideline for preserving the historic scheme of museum building interior. The evaluation method was used to measure the HIS and HES of the interior space of the museum. ‘Rumah Teh Bunga’ also known as the Penang Malay Gallery in George Town Penang has been selected for the case study. Hopefully, the HIS framework would inform the museum bodies to make the interior spaces of the museum more memorable for tourists.

Původní keramické obklady. O nedoceněné součásti interiéru historických staveb

Původní keramické obklady. O nedoceněné součásti interiéru historických staveb

The fragmented interior: decomposition of the interior of the Generale Bank and its afterlife

This article reflects upon the practice of material reuse in contemporary interior design through a case study of the decomposition of the interiors of the Generale Bank in Brussels and the reuse of its fragments in new projects. Three research questions steered the analysis: How were the fragments of the interiors of the Generale Bank preserved and reused? Can the decomposition of historic interiors and the reuse of their fragments be a valuable strategy for their conservation? How does the meaning of the fragment shift in its new context? The first part of the paper presents documentation and critical reflection on the process of decomposition and reuse of the fragments of the Generale Bank. The second part includes a more general discussion of the comparison between modern forms of material reuse and the ancient practice of spolia and considers the potential and pitfalls of reusing fragments as a method for the preservation of historic interiors. The conclusion elaborates on the meaning of the fragment in a new ensemble.

A Long View of Change in Caring for Historic House Interiors: from Housekeeping to Preventive Conservation, Collections Care and Beyond

ABSTRACT The care of historic interiors in the U.K. and abroad has evolved over many centuries, from historic housekeeping documented in early manuscripts, to preventive conservation, collections care and management widely practised in museums today. This paper takes a long view of this evolution, considering the causes and instigators of change in approaches taken by public institutions and private owners of historic collections. The influence of increasing professionalisation of the heritage sector and of statutory concern for the care of items of national interest is reviewed, and practice compared in the private and public spheres, to consider the future for conservation housekeeping.

The Battle against Pests in a Victorian Home: A Case Study of the Effect of Diatomaceous Earth

ABSTRACT This article focuses on integrated pest management (IPM) in historical interiors, where authenticity is an important part of the audience's experience. The brown carpet beetle Attagenus smirnovi Zhantiev (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) and the Berlin beetle Trogoderma angustum Solier (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) have been permanently present for two decades in the National Museum of Denmark’s exhibition The Victorian Home, located in central Copenhagen. Pest control is increasingly challenged in the old flat, originally furnished in 1890. The most recent measures, i.e. treating the premises with diatomaceous earth (DE), provided encouraging results. Using blunder traps, a reduction of A. smirnovi and T. angustum was demonstrated. In rooms where the application of DE was difficult due to heavy, hardly movable furniture, the effect of DE was reduced. A promising plan for future pest control was described for the premises. In addition, a short introduction to The Victorian Home is given.

IDENTIFYING GUIDELINES LIMITATION OF HISTORIC INTERIOR IN ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF HERITAGE BUILDING IN MALAYSIA

Adaptive re-use in heritage buildings is perceived as a viable alternative in restoring the existing building to accommodate for new or continued building use while addressing its heritage agenda. In the conservation approach of adaptive re-use, new interventions of historic interiors are often subject to insensible alteration particularly in its interior design outcome resulting in compromised heritage representation in Malaysia. The government’s efforts to protect and manage historic buildings are illustrated by the implementation of the National Heritage Act 2005 and the Historic Building Conservation Guidelines 2016. However, there are insufficient guidance concerning new interior design works of a historic interior within Malaysia. The primary aim of this paper is to identify the current limitation of the Historic Building Conservation Guidelines in Malaysia pertaining to historic interior works and to contribute to the discussion surrounding this matter. The paper presents comparative analysis and interpretation of literature and grey documents (guidelines and policies) in adaptive re-use of heritage buildings in Malaysia. The data generated is compared with similar conservation approach guidelines from England and United States of America. The analysis revealed that the Historic Building Conservation Guidelines is a comprehensive document that underscores physical action to preserve the fabric and materials of heritage buildings. However, while the broad definitions for new design proposal to be sympathetic and visual appropriateness to the existing building character are acceptable, it may lead to unintended interpretation and consequences. The paper suggests that the existing guideline need to be accompanied with additional guidance to aid practitioners especially architects and interior designers in dealing with historic interior using the comparative analysis with goals to intensify the value of historic interior that involves new intervention.

FEATURES OF THE SELECTION OF WEAPONS FOR THE DECORATION OF HISTORICAL INTERIORS OF CASTLES AND PALACES

Today, the process of museumification and adaptation of monuments of defense and residence architecture for exposition, cultural and artistic, and cultural and educational functions continues. The development of conceptual design for the historic interiors of these buildings actualizes the need to use weapons in the context of demonstrating compositions (military fittings] as components of the artistic image associated with the function and history of these cultural heritage sites. The article’s purpose is to highlight the impact factors on the quality of the artistic image of military compositions in the interior, to present the general principles of creating compositions from weapons, and to justify the choice of weapon analogs for creating replicas on the example of the Hetman’s Hall of the Zhovkva Castle. The research is based on the use of historical method to study the sources for the storage of weapons in the past in the interiors of castles and palaces; typological method and comparative analysis to select analogs for the creation of replicas; artistic, stylistic and graphic method to build compositional schemes. The article highlights the main factors impacting the artistic and image quality of military compositions in the interior; we developed several simple layout schemes that can be used as a basis for creating compositions of weapons elements for placement in the interiors of defensive and residence architecture; we characterized the types of weapons (halberd, mace, hatchet hammer, flanged mace, partisan, spear, ax hammer, saber], which due to their external characteristics and attractiveness are perfect for creating replicas or models (as design elements in the creation of military compositions]. The above-mentioned types of weapons were widespread in the 16 – 17 centuries on the territory of Central and Eastern Europe and Ukraine, in particular, and are placed in many museum collections of Ukraine and Poland and in private collections, which greatly simplifies the selection of analogs for making copies (replicas]. The experience of our study can be used to develop the design of museum premises based on castles, palaces, fortresses, etc., where, according to the plan, it is necessary to connect the interior design with their residential or military past.

The Ideal and the Real: interior linings in 1930s New Zealand homes

The choices made by New Zealanders in terms of how they line the floors, walls and ceilings of their homes, both today and in the past, is driven by various influencing factors. These include economic factors such as supply and demand, changes in technology, societal norms, as well as the agency of people themselves, ranging from the manufacturer and supplier to the designer and homeowner. In 1930s' New Zealand, architectural and building publications aimed to influence consumer behavior in terms of the products and methods used to design, construct and decorate buildings. These magazines also played a pivotal role in both reflecting and shaping current societal ideals and the associated ideal homes, which are almost always the homes of the middle and upper classes. This paper takes a case study approach by looking at the first eleven issues of the Home & Building magazine between October/November 1936 and November 1939, extracting from these the construct of the ideal home interior and the types of interior linings that were advertised and used for this purpose in the homes that are presented. To investigate the extent to which these trends are reflected in the homes of real New Zealanders, a sample of Wellington building consents and historical interior photographs available through DigitalNZ are used.

Assessment of an underfloor heating system in a restored chapel: Balancing thermal comfort and historic heritage conservation

Heating historic buildings always entails a greater or lesser impact on indoor air temperature and humidity, on which the conservation of historic interiors depends. As modern rehabilitation prioritises such interiors, local heating is the system of choice to prevent possible harm while delivering high levels of occupant comfort. Such heating systems (radiant flooring, for instance) are marketed and have proven to be ideal, although installation conditions and especially system operation and use may disrupt the fragile comfort-conservation balance. Santas Formas Chapel at Alcalá de Henares, in Greater Madrid, Spain, provides a good example. The underfloor radiant heating installed on the occasion of a recent restoration has proven to effectively ensure maximum occupant comfort (Categories I-II) up to a height of 2 m off the floor with no impact, for the time being, on the dome mural paintings, located at a much higher elevation. At heights over 56 cm, fluctuations in relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) barely exceeded the target (–8.1% to +9.1%, ΔRH) and (−2.5 °C to +2.5 °C, ΔT) ranges that ensure preventive conservation of building interior. Theoretically at least, then, conservation of assets lying above that height would be guaranteed. Future conservation will nonetheless call for changes in system operation. The abrupt disturbance of the indoor microclimate induced by initial system start-up in the winter should be avoided. Unprogrammed interruptions and restarts lasting hours or days are equally unadvisable, for the resulting fluctuations in T and RH may affect heritage conservation without modifying thermal comfort.