Few freshman or sophomore students would be able to recognize the University Museum without the fenced-off area on 33rd and South streets and the presence of various construction vehicles and workers.
Extensive work on Penn's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology began in the spring of 2003 and included construction to the actual building as well as landscaping renovations.
According to Mark Wilson, managing director of design and construction for Penn Facilities & Real Estate Services, the interior work is expected to be completed in the next few months, and the entire project, including landscaping, is expected to cost $15.3 million.
"The garden was dug up so we could do work in the basement space," Senior Research Scientist and Museum Project Liaison Ann Brownlee said. "And after it is completed, the garden will be returned to its almost original appearance from when it was constructed in 1899."
The garden was ripped up both to perform internal construction and because trees had started to hide the museum, according to Brownlee.
"We expect the garden to be done in November, especially because there are deadlines for planting things there so it must be done sooner, but we don't expect to use it until the spring," Brownlee said.
Inside, construction within the basement included inserting two skylights to incorporate natural light, as well as waterproofing the entire basement.
In addition, chilled water lines were put in place in preparation for incorporating an air-conditioning system in the museum, according to Wilson. However, the actual addition of the air-conditioning system will be started in the spring, after this preliminary work is done.
"We have taken great care to make sure all of the work, including the waterproofing, is correct, and it has all been thoroughly tested," Wilson said.
Interior finishes and new mechanical systems are also being implemented, as well as the addition of an elevator for the basement floor. Finally, the sidewalk as well as the wall separating the garden from the street are both being repaired.
Many are looking forward to the renovations to the building and landscaping being completed.
"This is something we are really happy about. It is a wonderful, historic building, and air-conditioning it is not an easy task. This is the first step towards making the galleries more comfortable, and we are all pretty excited," Brownlee said.
The director of the University Museum, Richard Leventhal, shared similar feelings on the subject.
"We are very excited about the developments. It is very important, because we need this infrastructure set up in order to begin the process of trying to climate-control the building," Leventhal said.
"We are setting the stage for a long process that will be a great improvement to the museum."
