Taft Museum of Art Historic House Renovation and Addition, Cincinnati, OH (completed 2004)
Architect: Ann Beha & Associates; Engineer: KZF Designs; Exhibit Design: Stephen Saitas Designs

Taft Museum of Art

Historic Mansion Relighting and Addition

Presenting and interpreting the extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts that Anna and Charles Phelps Taft left to the people of Cincinnati had been a visual challenge in the heavily shaded domestic interior of the Taft Museum. A recent renovation of the house introduced museum-quality recessed accent lighting so that details of the collection are brought out in ways that surprise even long-time staff members. Numerous display cases combine traditional light attics with fiber optic side lighting to reduce object shadowing. An addition that contains all of the needs of a modern museum includes a special exhibition gallery with lighting systems that can respond to a full range of in-house and travelling shows.

The completion of the project caps a 10-year process that started with a lighting needs assessment. This set the stage for the final solutions and exemplifies the long-term commitment and continuity that Hefferan Partnership consistently brings to the most demanding projects.