Microclimate-Monitoring: Examining the Indoor Environment of Greek Museums and Historical Buildings in the Face of Climate Change

Abstract

The preservation of cultural artifacts within museums and historical buildings requires control of microclimatic conditions, and the constantly evolving climate certainly poses a challenge to maintaining recommended conditions. Focused on the Archaeological Museum of Delphi and the Church of Acheiropoietos in Greece, our study evaluates the hygrothermal behavior of these buildings with a specific emphasis on the preservation of cultural heritage objects hosted there. An innovative approach to the real-time analysis of data is utilized, aiming to achieve a timely detection of extreme temperature and humidity levels. A one-year monitoring campaign was carried out to achieve a detailed assessment of the indoor climate in selected museums and historical buildings in Greece. The monitoring campaign was performed using dataloggers that were set to measure and record temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) values hourly. The results allowed for the detection of extreme temperature and relative humidity values, pinpointing the time period that requires more attention. The museum’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems provide temperature control for visitor comfort, but the temperature still rises in summer, highlighting the impact of external climate factors. The church’s lack of HVAC systems widens the temperature range compared to the museum, but significant hourly fluctuations are not observed, underlining the building’s high thermal mass and inertia. Both buildings demonstrate a significant response to changes in outdoor temperature, emphasizing the need for future adaptation to climate change. The HMRhs and PRD indices indicate minimal microclimate risk in both buildings for temperature and RH, reducing the probability of material damage. The church’s slightly higher HMRhs index values, attributed to relative humidity, increases susceptibility due to sensitive materials. Overall, the study highlights the importance of managing microclimatic conditions in historical buildings and proposes careful adaptations for the protection of cultural heritage.