New York Historical Society

The museum and collection

The 4th floor of the New York Historical Society – the Henry Luce III Center for the Study of American Culture - recently underwent major renovation to reopen in May 2017. The refurbished space, designed by renowned Czech architect, Eva Jiřičná, has been completely transformed: the re-imagined permanent collection is spread across four galleries, which are dedicated to women’s history, Tiffany lamps, silverwork and landmark objects respectively.

The assignment

To help the NYHS achieve this ambitious redevelopment, Meyvaert produced approximately 73 display cases: 21 cases for the North Gallery, 9 cases for the Corridor Gallery and 43 for the Tiffany Gallery. Many of the showcases feature complex low-reflective curved glass, such as the recessed wall cases and the cylindrical freestanding cases. Two incredibly large showcases were also produced: measuring 30m in length and 6m in height. A plethora of opening systems were used: multi-pivot doors and tilt and slide opening mechanisms. Some of the display cases incorporate drawers and fiber optic lighting.

The project: challenges & result

“The historical nature of the building in Manhattan meant there were no proper unloading facilities, no storage space on site and only one old historical lift we could use to transport all the materials to the 4th floor. Furthermore, our installation team faced suboptimal site conditions as the main contractor was still busy working in the building at the time of installation. Nevertheless, Meyvaert succeeded in completing the project successfully, despite these challenging site conditions and the tight project completion deadline (12 months from start to finish).”

- Gerhard Schlanzky - Director of Exhibitions, New-York Historical Society