On level 6 of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the air conditioning is reinforced to preserve the oil paintings of the Eugène Leroy exhibition. A large white fabric, a canopy, is also installed to insulate the windows. It is very cool there, as explained by Laurent Santucci, deputy general secretary of the museum. “Here we oscillate between 20 and 22 degrees. In the museum we are lucky to have several air-conditioned rooms. For the past week, we have had a lot of calls to the switchboard asking us if the museum is air-conditioned. This means that we have an average visit rate of _2500 to 3000 people per weekend._“
Among the visitors, there is Marie. She came with her friend to see the temporary exhibition, but also to avoid the heat outside. “We chose the day on purpose because it’s very hot. I think the museum is a good destination at these times.“
Véronique, she’s on the ground floor, always cool, she’s reading on a bench. “I came to see the works of course. But it’s true that I also take a little break in the cool.”
Éloïse works at the museum all summer. She watches the room. This post, she did not choose it by chance. “Honestly, when you choose summer jobs, it’s true that when you see the museum, you tell yourself that you won’t be too bad. _August in Paris is not known for being cool_. It’s true that museums are a good plan”she smiles.
The heat wave plan
On August 13, Paris the thermometer climbed to 34 degrees in the capital. The museums of the City of Paris have triggered the heat wave map since beginning of June.
This plan concerns visitors, museum employees and works of art. “Visitors may have _access to water points_. Discussions are underway to install a fountain on level 4. We have a security PC with agents who make periodic and preventive rounds with visitors”explains Laurent Santucci
For officers, rotations are organized so that they can all meet in cooler places at certain times of the day.
“We have a lot of paintings, the sculptures don’t suffer too much from the heat, but the paintings, yes”, explains the Deputy Secretary General. For the preservation of the works, the temperatures must be maintained around 19/20 degrees with a hygrometry between 45 and 55%. “We put in place devices that allow us to maintain this humidity level because in high heat, there is necessarily a drop in humidity. On a daily basis, we have a monitoring plan for these temperatures and the humidity within the museum”explains Laurent Santucci.