MuseumLab

MuseumLab occupies the formerly abandoned historic Carnegie Library (c1890), whose exterior is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Located on Pittsburgh’s Northside, the austere masonry library was shuttered in 2006. It’s reincarnation is the most recent example of the Owner’s ongoing program of reviving abandoned real estate for the benefit of children and families in a disinvested neighborhood.

We were tasked with providing a flexible framework that would spark imagination around discovery, investigation and curiosity, showcase the building’s history, and highlight invention. Universal access, improved environmental performance and stabilization of a deteriorating envelope were also key. Design was a collaborative effort including Museum staff, design team and contractor—a productive and necessary partnership given the idiosyncrasies of the historic building.

Time, and a 1970s remodel, wreaked havoc on the interior ornament: column capitals were sliced, steel armatures exposed and surface plaster crumbled away. Traditional restoration was not economic and the emerging beautiful ruin suggested the archeology of the building could be turned into an exhibit of discovery about how things were made.

That said all the electrical and HVAC systems needed replacing and there was no budget to conceal much of the mechanical equipment, conduit, duct and pipe runs which were deftly routed and hidden - most notably, above the Grable Gallery commissioned art piece, a digitally cut fabric installation that evokes the room’s long-gone tiffany glass ceiling.

The R-Value of exterior walls was improved with an interior thermal plaster. That plaster introduced a new dilemma as it appeared as a “restored”surface in contrast to the general “reveal and stabilize”approach. Deciding where a “restore zone” began and ended was determined on a space by space basis. Windows that had been boarded up were reinstated to add daylight and a high proportion of existing glazing replaced with insulated glass units. Insulation was also added to roof and exterior walls to improve environmental performance.

Accessibility was approached as a fundamental planning strategy, rather than retrofit, to strengthen connectivity and promote informal social interaction. Locating the elevator inboard made it possible to access all levels with one elevator. Filling in the second floor light well provided access to the school and lounge and also created a distinctive double-height gathering space. The new gallery overlooking that space provides both access and a strong visual connection to the assembly hall above. The glass ceiling suffuses the space with daylight and the glass floor allows light to filter to below.

The MuseumLab opened in April 2019 and had been embraced by the community - 22,000 visitors were welcomed in the first six months. In March 2020, MuseumLab was temporarily closed due to the CoronaVirus. The Museum has an ambitious agenda to resume when it reopens facilitated by a research/practice partnership between the Museum and the Charter School. That association brings the experimental and informal learning context of the museum world to the formal world of classroom education to explore new directions in education.