Corcoran Gallery of Art Skylight and Roof Replacement

The Corcoran Gallery of Art, a privately funded institution, was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first and largest non-federal museum of art. It is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, sculpture and the decorative arts.

The Christman Company implemented a challenging phased project to renovate the glass roof of the historic building. Renovation work helped renew the building’s grandeur and served to protect and preserve the art treasures inside by fostering a more secure interior environment. The goal of the project was to seal off the building from moisture, control the light and heat transmitted into the interior, and update the climate control equipment that is located in the attic. The flat roof was replaced and the elaborate skylight system retrofitted with state-of-the-art glass panes to control the heat and light transmitted into the galleries. Underneath the skylights, ventilation in the expansive attic was upgraded to allow for better and more cost-effective control of the interior environment. Air handlers on the roof were replaced and duct work was rerouted. New copper paneling replaced the aged, oxidized copper, which soon took on the traditional greenish patina.