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Did you know that climate change can even be seen in museum rooms? REFRESH is an international research project that will look for innovative and sustainable solutions to the impact of climate change on art conservation. Specifically, the project is exploring how to make our heritage sites resilient for the future, by managing the water cycle at the heritage site itself more effectively. The Gruuthusemuseum in Bruges is one of four case studies, together with the Louvre in Paris, and others.
To counteract the effects of climate change on heritage, the REFRESH project is studying the impact of water on historic heritage sites.
REFRESH (Water Cycle For Resilient Heritage) is an international collaboration between Musea Brugge and several research partners, including the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA). Teams from Belgium, France, Italy and the United Kingdom are focusing their research on four emblematic heritage sites: the Doge's Palace in Venice, the Louvre in Paris, the Gruuthusemuseum in Bruges and Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England.
Climate change is resulting in extreme weather conditions and therefore significant variations in temperature and humidity. This has an impact on the indoor climate of museum rooms. Art and heritage objects are sensitive to variations in temperature and humidity. Large fluctuations can cause damage such as cracks, tears, oxidation and condensation. They can also accelerate the natural ageing of artworks or cause mould.
One of the main factors determining the impact of climate change on heritage sites is the amount of water (both too much and too little) and the way water moves. Especially if the sites are surrounded by natural environments such as parks and gardens.
The REFRESH project aims to understand the role of water cycles on the conservation of cultural heritage sites, with an overarching approach that takes water dynamics into consideration at three levels:
To measure the impact of water on historic heritage sites, the researchers are installing several measuring devices at the four sites. There will be a number of sensors on the exterior facade of the Gruuthusemuseum and in the ground. There will also be a weather station on the roof of the museum. We are also monitoring various parameters such as temperature, humidity and CO2 in four museum rooms. In some display windows, we are conducting additional research on condensation, by measuring the surface temperature of materials such as oak, marble, glass, plaster and copper. These materials each have different thermal properties and therefore react differently to the environment. The REFRESH researchers are also studying the impact of the surrounding water (the Reie) on the masonry and the historic building materials of the Gruuthuse Palace.
All these measurements are also being taken in Italy (the Doge's Palace in Venice), England (Blenheim Palace in Woodstock) and France (the Louvre in Paris).
REFRESH aims to map and better understand the effect of water cycles on the conservation of heritage sites. In this way, we can identify levers to optimise the conservation of cultural heritage while improving water management and reducing energy consumption. By better understanding the relationship between nature and culture, we can mitigate the effects of climate change on our heritage and make our cultural heritage more resilient. The project will run until the summer of 2027.
Photos: © Jan Darthet & © Musea Brugge
