Sistine Chapel

“Saving both art and people”

Their popularity was killing them. Michelangelo's frescoes on the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel attracts millions of awed observers each year and with each group of visitors came a new load of dirt, heat and humidity.

The problem was made even worse, following the Vatican's recent meticulous restoration of the masterworks to their original brightness and stunning colours.

But removing centuries of candles soot, animal glue and ordinary dirt made the frescoes even more vulnerable to attack by moisture and temperature extremes created mainly by the daily influx of visitors.

The Vatican called on Carrier to design and install an air conditioning system that would let the frescoes rest in stable comfort while still allowing visitors from around the world to gaze at Michelangelo's works overhead.

Combining off-the-shelf cooling and heating products with computer-based electronic sensors and controls, Carrier created a system that bathed the ceilings and walls with temperate air and
humidity.

The air is cleaned with powerful filters that remove chemicals and particles down to bacteria size.

Visitors, meanwhile, are showered with a high-velocity airflow to keep dirt and humidity at floor level. The system also allows the Vatican's conservators to seal the chapel's windows, keeping Roman car exhaust and pollutants outside.