The design of glazing for the purpose of daylighting in museums must address an expanded set of performance criteria relative to typical glazing design. The replacement of the historic skylights which provide natural daylight to the European Paintings Galleries (A, B, & C Wings) and the existing sloped, south-facing curtainwall that provides daylight to the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas (Michael C. Rockefeller Wing) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York are presented as case studies in addressing these performance criteria. Design considerations including optical performance for art conservation and daylight quantity and quality management, structural performance to resist wind, self-weight, snow and access and maintenance loads, safety in the event of breakage, thermal performance, loads imposed on the existing historic structure, simplicity of procurement, maintenance, and replacement, and aesthetic considerations are examined. A summary and comparison of how the design considerations for these sensitive glazing replacement projects are addressed is provided through a discussion of the design, mock-up, and construction processes.
Kateri Knapp
Glazing The Met: A Case Study in Design Considerations for Museum Glazing
Company: Arup, USA
About the speaker:
Kateri Knapp is a Senior Consultant with Arup’s Facade Engineering and Building Physics team in New York. She is experienced in the design and engineering of a variety of building envelope systems, with a focus on multi-discipline integration including calibrated daylighting requirements and thermal performance specifications. Knapp has served as a visiting professor and lecturer at Pratt Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell University, Parsons School of Design, and Thomas Jefferson University. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
