CODART, Dutch and Flemish art in museums worldwide

Jørgen Wadum

Something in Store? Principles of Low-Energy Storage Buildings by Jørgen Wadum
Director of Conservation and of CATS at the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
PresentationAbstractSummary

In order to qualify as a low-energy museum storage facility, a structure requires an extremely well-insulated superstructure or “building envelope,” with high thermal inertia that keeps temperature variations to a minimum, using the ground beneath the floor for heat storage. This removes the need for active heating; it is possible to rely on a low air exchange rate and to dispense with forced ventilation. When necessary, in response to challenging climate conditions, provision is made for activating mechanical dehumidification, which can be driven by solar power. Jørgen Wadum will present some examples of construction of low-energy storage buildings and demonstrate their effectiveness. He will also discuss pertinent questions like how this may challenge access to museum staff as well as external researchers and visitors.

About Jørgen Wadum
Jørgen Wadum is director of conservation and of CATS at Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, Denmark. From 2012 to 2016 he held a chair in Conservation and Restoration at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam. From 1990 through 2004 he was chief conservator at the Mauritshuis, The Hague. Wadum holds positions in several international organizations, committees, and research networks including the Commission for the Conservation of the Ghent Altarpiece and The MARKS ON ART database at the RKD.

Jørgen Wadum has been a member of CODART since 2005.