The Art of Lighting and HVAC for a Museum:
UCSD’s Mandeville Gallery
La Jolla is known for its beaches, its Playhouse theater, and the Torrey Pines Golf Course. Now the village can add world-class art to this list, thanks to an upgrade to UC San Diego’s Mandeville Art Gallery.
Syska Hennessy was responsible for architectural lighting design and MEP engineering for the upgrade, which Syska senior designer Robert Fagnant calls “the little project that could.” “Little” because it comprises only 5,000 square feet. “Could” because it 1) can now house major, varied exhibits, 2) has significantly boosted enrollment in the university’s art program, and 3) has won notable awards, including an Orchid award from the San Diego Architectural Foundation and an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architecture, San Diego.
Today the gallery serves as a virtual front door to the campus, and the view is striking. A large graphic media mesh wraps the concrete façade, enhanced with theatrical lighting. The interior is bright and comfortable, with advanced temperature and humidity controls and programmable, wireless luminaries.
It’s a far cry from what it looked like before, when visitors would see only the Brutalist façade and a cramped, dingy interior. Robert recalls his tour of the original gallery, when he noticed some unnecessary false walls, a lack of humidity control, and lighting from the 1970s. It was time for Robert to bring in his colleague Carlo Rivera, a mechanical designer, and review the options with architect Studio E.
Today the gallery serves as a virtual front door to the campus, and the view is striking. A large graphic media mesh wraps the concrete façade, enhanced with theatrical lighting.
With the improved temperature and humidity controls, the gallery could finally host permanent displays that wouldn’t degrade with time and temporary displays of art with environmentally sensitive properties.
The Interior
They started in the basement, where an old air handler was doing a not-so-great job of sending air through the space. Carlo called it the “Frankenstein unit.” It was so big that the team had to chop it up to get it out of the building. In its place came a new state-of-the-art air handler and humidification equipment with advanced filtration. This was done concurrently with separate upgrade project in the same basement. “We had to model everything in 3D to make sure it would fit,” he remembers.
With the improved temperature and humidity controls, the gallery could finally host permanent displays that wouldn’t degrade with time and temporary displays of art with environmentally sensitive properties. Improved controls extend to the lighting. Through a Bluetooth control operation, the staff can dim individual lights and change color temperature and focus through their phones – no ladders required. It’s a far cry from what it looked like before, when visitors would see only the Brutalist façade and a cramped, dingy interior. Robert recalls his tour of the original gallery, when he noticed some unnecessary false walls, a lack of humidity control, and lighting from the 1970s. It was time for Robert to bring in his colleague Carlo Rivera, a mechanical designer, and review the options with architect Studio E.
Results
Robert, who is a UCSD alumnus, reports that the school, students, and the local community have embraced the new gallery. He is not surprised that applications to the art school have risen significantly. “The university is sending a clear message that it is an art destination,” he says.
Carlo attended the official opening, which featured captivating exhibits. One of which he describes as a “psychedelic trip video that zoomed in and changed forms constantly.” In his opinion, it was an excellent way to showcase the variety of art that the gallery could house.
“This tiny building has made a big impact,” concludes Robert. “It’s demonstrating just how much we can do in the realm of what we call 'architainment.'
“This tiny building has made a big impact. It’s demonstrating just how much we can do in the realm of what we call 'architainment.’
Photo Credit: John Durant