William D. Rondia and Giovanni Foroni Lo Faro Exhibition Gallery, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY (completed 2002)
Exhibit Designer: Stephen Saitas Designs; Architect: Polshek Partnership, LLC.

New York Botanical Gardens

Special Exhibition Gallery

Analysis of annual daylight exposure trends quickly directed the project team to move the planned special exhibition gallery space from a daylit rotunda to an adjacent space. There, the world-renowed collection of precious botanical manuscripts and illustrations could be protected and viewed in visual comfort. In the appropriate setting, the extremely light-sensitive works on paper present a pleasing appearance at very low illuminance levels. Most cases are illuminated from internal halogen accent light sources hidden from the viewer. These provide the range of light patterns required to illuminate a variety of objects, ranging from small books to large maps. Distracting reflections and glare are reduced to the absolute minimum to place the visual emphasis on the displayed objects.

When involved in a project during the initial planning stages, Hefferan Partnership can bring a unique perspective that may challenge prevailing assumptions and result in better solutions.