Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building
52,206 SQFT
Assist Mobile Shelving, Nantucket Trays, Preservation Cabinets, Flat Files
Spacesaver
Spacesaver
Spacesaver
The Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building at Penn State University was designed to house collection storage for the Matson Museum, with a focus on flexibility and ease of transportation. The challenge was creating a system that would not only store valuable collections efficiently but also allow for smooth and secure movement of items between classrooms and exhibition spaces. Working with Penn State University and architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the project aimed to design a storage solution that offered both organization and flexibility for future growth.
While the new building offered ample space, the primary challenge became how to store and move the collection in a way that not only optimized storage but also facilitated the transport of delicate items between classrooms, exhibitions, and other various spaces. The project aimed to strike a balance between maintaining an organized and scalable storage system while ensuring that items could be easily accessed and moved when required. Ensuring the artifacts could be moved swiftly and safely between various spaces was a core consideration, as was maintaining the ability to scale the system as the museum’s collection grew.
The solution involved implementing high-density mobile shelving systems, which significantly reduced the space needed to store the collections. Additionally, Nantucket trays and carts were integrated into the design, enabling easy transportation of items between classrooms and storage areas. This combination of space-efficient shelving and easy-to-move transport options created a flexible, organized, and scalable solution that supported the museum's operational needs both now and in the future.
