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Before their restoration, the darkened Sistine Chapel frescoes spoke of a somber Michelangelo... |
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The problem was made even worse following the Vatican's recent meticulous restoration of the masterworks to their original brightness and stunning colors. But removing centuries of candle soot, animal glue and ordinary dirt made the frescoes even more vulnerable to attack by moisture and temperature extremes created mainly by the daily influx of visitors.
The Vatican called on Carrier to design and install an air conditioning system that would let the frescoes rest in stable comfort while still allowing pilgrims from around the world to gaze at Michelangelo's works overhead.
Combining "off-the-shelf" cooling and heating products with computer-based electronic sensors and controls, Carrier created a system that bathed the ceilings and walls with temperate air and humidity. The air is cleaned with powerful filters that remove chemicals and even bacteria-sized particles. Visitors, meanwhile, are "showered" with a higher velocity air flow that keeps dirt and humidity at floor level. The system also allows the Vatican's conservators to seal the chapel's windows keeping Roman car exhaust and the pollutants found in the air of any large city outside.
And unless you know where to look, the system is all but invisible to visitors and worshippers - no easy task in a building whose 400-year-old walls are 10-feet thick in places.
There is a lot more to the Vatican system than meets the eye, so use your mouse if you'd like to read a more detailed account of Carrier's work in the Sistine Chapel.
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