Howe Green Ltd supply specially-manufactured Floor Access Covers for Sweden's premier art and design museum. The Nationalmuseum of Art in Stockholm is currently closed whilst undergoing an extensive restoration programme.
Despite being adapted and repurposed over the years the museum, which opened in 1866, had fallen behind with meeting operational and regulatory standards. The aim of the renovation is to create a more modern environment that will enhance the overall visitor experience whilst retaining the museum's architectural heritage.
The renovations began in 2015, and the new museum is expected to open in 2018. In the meantime, the exhibits have been temporarily relocated to local museums throughout Sweden.
The transformation will include the installation of a state of the art climate control system to regulate the internal environment; the reinstating of bricked up windows to flood the space with natural light; new security technology and the expansion of the public spaces to house exhibits and visitor amenities.
The National Property Board of Sweden, a Swedish state agency who are responsible for the preservation of state-owned cultural heritage sites, are the developers. They are working with Swedish architects Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB and Wikerstål Arkitekter AB.
Howe Green's Swedish distributor, Elkington AB, was contracted to supply Floor Access Covers for the project. Elkington have worked with Howe Green since 1999. As well as extensive knowledge of the range of standard Access Covers that can be supplied, the team has a full understanding of the bespoke access solutions that Howe Green can design and manufacture.
Otto von Platen, Managing Director for Elkington comments,
"We are always happy to recommend Howe Green Access Covers, especially in situations where the client requires a finish that is visually appealing and of superior quality. Buildings with a high level of pedestrian traffic, such as museums, hospitals and airports, require an access solution that can deliver on aesthetics, security and quality. After 18 years of working together, we are confident that Howe Green covers fulfil those requirements."
Howe Green's 7500 Series medium-duty floor Aluminium Access Covers were fitted as duct runs in the museum. The majority of the covers were infilled with limestone floor tiles to provide a virtually invisible finish. The remaining units have a visible concrete finish. All the covers were supplied double-sealed to ensure the highest performance and quality.
Health and safety is paramount within any public area. The seamless fit of the Floor Access Covers will help to reduce the risks of slip and trip hazards. In addition to the way they blend into the flooring, the covers are highly functional, providing easy and safe access to the cabling and services concealed underneath the ducts. Once the renovation work is complete and the museum is open, the covers will ensure that services can be accessed with the minimum of disruption to the daily operation of the museum.
Suitable for internal and external use, the 7500 Series medium -duty Floor Access Cover has been used in many museums including the V&A, the British Museum in London, and the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.
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