Freer Gallery of Art Modernization
Smithsonian Institution: Washington, DC
The Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery house collections of Asian art for the Smithsonian Institution. The Freer opened to the public in 1923 and is connected to the Sackler by an underground passageway. In addition to its collections of Asian art, the Freer contains an important collection of 19th century American art punctuated by James McNeill Whistler’s Peacock Room, designed in 1876 for the London dining room of shipping magnate Frederick Leyland. Within in the building, mechanical systems (steam coils, humidifiers, and associated piping) were beyond their useful life and leaking, presenting a high level of risk to sensitive collections in the building. This complex and phased modernization project included removal of duct-mounted steam coils, humidifiers, and steam piping and replacing them with hot water coils, a new heating water system, and central humidification — all while keeping the building operational.
Architect: architrave, p.c. architects
Project Photography: Alain Jaramillo Architectural Photography