The Rose Art Museum will undergo major renovations beginning in early June to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the building and improve the environmental conditions within the museum, Vice President for Planning and Institutional Research Dan Feldman said in an interview with the Justice.The renovations are scheduled to take place through the last week of August in preparation for the museum's upcoming 50th anniversary, which will be celebrated in the fall, according to Feldman.

Director of Museum Operations Roy Dawes explained that the Rose galleries will be closed from mid-April through late September, but the Lois Foster Wing galleries will remain open into June and will be accessible via the side door of the Foster wing.

The total cost of the renovations is expected to be $1.7 million, Feldman clarified in a follow-up e-mail to the Justice. The renovations are being funded by a donation made by Gerald S. and Sandra Fineberg, according to an e-mail to the Justice from Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully. The donation was made in 2002, Gully wrote, but the project was put on hold until recently.

Feldman explained that since the University has been involved in many capital projects spanning several years, including the Mandel Center for the Humanities, the Shapiro Science Complex, the Shapiro Admissions Center and the three Ridgewood Residence Halls, it would have been too much to undertake renovations to the museum until those other projects were complete.

Feldman described the renovations that will be made to the museum, and said, "We are being as respectful as we can of the original architecture."

The glass curtain wall that currently forms the front of the museum will be replaced with more energy-efficient glass, but the most noticeable change to the exterior of the building will be the new glass-enclosed vestibule entrance. Feldman explained that it will look somewhat like a glass box inserted into the glass wall. This change, which is typically how similar buildings are constructed today, he said, will allow for better insulation and will better maintain interior conditions.

Upon entering the museum, there will be a new reception desk to the left and a new coatroom to the right, Feldman said. He explained that visitors will no longer be facing the glass-block wall. "You'll see the museum spreading out in front of you, rather than having to walk around the wall," he said. These renovations satisfy what he said was one of the highest priorities of the project: to improve the "entry experience," he said.

Dawes said, "One of my biggest concerns is that [museum visitors] are comfortable when they come in and that they're comfortable walking around." Dawes said he is looking forward to the new "friendly environment" of the entrance to the museum, "an important aesthetic change," he called it, so that all the galleries are visible upon entering, especially since he referred to the entrance as one of his "biggest pet peeves over the years."

Most of the renovations, however, will be done to the interior of the museum. According to Feldman, these include replacing the floors and ceilings of the museum, as well as installing new high-efficiency LED lights to replace the current lighting. Feldman said a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system will be installed to replace the existing system, which largely dates from the opening of the museum in 1961. The new HVAC system will significantly improve the environmental conditions of the museum.

Additionally, the railing around the main ceremonial staircase is being replaced with a new system of glass panels "that will actually be quite beautiful," Feldman said. "In addition to the vestibule, [the new railing] will be a very striking difference from what people are used to now," he added.

Finally, the pond on the lower level of the museum will be removed, which will help maintain better interior conditions for the artwork, Dawes said.

Feldman explained that a new seating and display area will possibly be located where the pond is now. "We're working with museum staff now to enable them to utilize the new space to its fullest potential," he said.

"I feel very positive about it," Dawes said. "Obviously we've been through a significant challenge over the last couple of years," Dawes said, referring to the ongoing controversy following the University's January 2009 announcement that the Board of Trustees voted to close the museum, a decision that was later reversed, though the Rose remained an issue of controversy.

"But it heartens me to see the University moving forward with renovations. . I feel very positive for the future of the museum. This is another step in the right direction," he said.

Improving and enhancing some of the museum's systems and structural components is "a good way to honor the 50th anniversary," Dawes said. "It's a positive sign to see the galleries being renovated. We will put together some type of exhibit that's going to reflect the history of the museum," he added.