Dec 13, 2021 _ insights

If These Walls Could Talk: Architectural Rehabilitation at the Taft Museum of Art

Andrew Campbell & Marcene Kinney

Often, the most valuable asset in a museum’s collection is the building that houses it. In our recent presentation with the Taft Museum of Art, we took participants back in time, behind the scenes, and into the walls of this National Historic Landmark. Joined by historic preservation, and previous Executive Director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, expert Beth Sulleberger, we shared discoveries and insights from our renovation and rehabilitation of the Taft, the oldest structure remaining in downtown Cincinnati.

 

An excellent example of early 19th century Federalist architecture, the home was designed for originally designed to house people, not priceless works of art.

 

View our presentation as we walk through our historic investigation of the Taft structure using thermal imagery, forensic clues, historic artifacts–like newspapers, renderings, maps, tax deeds and records– and other tools to understand the DNA of the building and sensitively address its rehabilitation.

 

Want to see more of GBBN’s work with the arts? Check them out here.

 

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Andrew Campbell

Fascinated by how design furnishes the context of people’s lives, Andrews appreciates architecture’s ever-present demand for creativity and problem solving. His interest and exploration into digital fabrication technologies keeps him constantly pushing the envelope of design. An avid musician and multi-instrumentalist, when he’s not in the office, he might be found playing bluegrass music around town, or at home, recording his first solo album.

 

Marcene Kinney, AIA, LEED AP

As a Principal and Director of Arts at GBBN, Marcene uses architecture and design to create a sense of belonging, inclusion, and well-being in the arts. In addition to leading GBBN’s renovation and rehabilitation work at the Taft Museum of Art, Marcene’s recent projects include the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance, the Andrew J Brady ICON Center for Music, and the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Hanna Wing.