The MET Cloisters

Excavation, foundation, MEP work and associated finishing services for a botanical greenhouse at the northwest corner of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters courtyard in Fort Tryon Park. The greenhouse, at 13’ tall and occupying 280 SF of space, is used to propagate and raise rare and Old World plants; as such, it has a state-of-the-art climate control system. The greenhouse is constructed on the grounds of the museum, which is dedicated to the art, architecture and gardens of medieval Europe.

Challenges

• work area is located on the 12th floor of an active office building, so work must be carefully coordinated
• all deliveries must occur before and after regular business hours

Features

• project was constructed on active museum grounds
• museum security interacted with project team throughout the workday, requiring adjustments by the project team on an as-needed basis
• concrete pumping for the greenhouse foundation was accomplished from 250 feet away due to restricted vehicular access
• work area was adjacent to large air conditioning units that supply the museum; trades must paid special attention to careful work execution to prevent damage to equipment or disruption of service
• limestone relics in the museum courtyard that surround the greenhouse were protected with an ongoing dust mitigation program

Services

General Contractor