The 114,000-sq-ft Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA, houses a unique collection of international art. To keep exhibits safe, officials needed to make sure mechanical systems met stringent Smithsonian Museum environmental criteria. These guidelines govern relative humidity (rh) and temperature in exhibits and storage spaces, and were established to prevent degradation of paint, paper, wood, and other media used in artwork.
Meeting the environmental criteria meant that the Figge would be able to display some of the world’s most impressive art collections. However, energy efficiency was just as important. The museum’s new mechanical systems promised to reduce energy consumption, which would earn the Figge approximately $400,000 in energy efficiency incentives and save on annual energy costs.