AIC 53rd Annual Meeting

A National Historic Landmark located in Miami, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was constructed between 1914 and 1922 and features 14 distinctive structures. Though there are numerous highly decorated and site-specific spaces throughout the estate, the Swimming Pool Grotto is a particularly unique feature. Containing a ceiling mural painted by the distinguished American artist Robert Winthrop Chanler in 1916, it portrays a vibrant “undersea fantasy” that provides an immersive experience. A testament to Chanler’s distinctive, playful style, it is only one of only three publicly accessible Chanler murals in the United States.

 

However, the Swimming Pool Grotto at Vizcaya represents a particularly significant conservation challenge due to its unique design and the environmental pressures it faces, and surface deterioration was visible as early as 1918. The mural’s deterioration is particularly severe due to Chanler’s use of water-soluble paints, Plaster of Paris, aluminum gilding, and glazes ill-suited to the humid, coastal environment. These materials have led to significant paint loss, plaster detachment, and extensive damage. Recent assessments have also revealed corrosion in the underlying structural elements, adding to the urgency of the preservation work needed. Over the past 15 years, Vizcaya has meticulously documented the mural’s declining condition while embarking on a comprehensive conservation survey, undertaking a preliminary assessment in 2012, a structural systems analysis in 2014, a comprehensive condition assessment in 2017, and an environmental survey in 2023. In 2023, Vizcaya engaged an external conservation firm to address flaking throughout the painted surface and undertake a sample treatment area while simultaneously commissioning contractors to analyze the necessary repairs to the ceiling substructure and the Living Room floor above. The findings from these recent evaluations have emphasized the urgent need for more drastic intervention.

 

In 2024, Vizcaya was awarded a $750,000 Save America’s Treasures grant as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. With a $750,000 match, this will enable us to perform necessary work to the substructure of the Living Room floor above the mural. This marks a transformative step forward in this conservation endeavor. This funding will support critical interventions, including structural repairs to the Living Room floor above the mural, which are essential to stabilizing the Grotto and ensuring the preservation of its artistic and historical integrity.

 

This presentation will discuss the extensive years-long preparatory work as well as the first phase of the work in the Living Room above that must be undertaken prior to the upcoming mural conservation. It will highlight the interdisciplinary collaboration that has been required to address the Swimming Pool Grotto’s complex conservation issues, encompassing research and analysis, structural engineering, and architectural conservation techniques, specifically cathodic protection. By sharing insights into the challenges faced and the collaborative strategies employed, this presentation will underscores the vital role of multi-disciplinary professional collaboration in the preservation and conservation of environmentally challenging and historically significant sites, showing that it indeed takes a village to save an American treasure like the Swimming Pool Grotto at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.