Experimental sites

The sites that are considered for the field tests and to check the new instrumentation are climatologically different and also differently polluted. The sites are the following:

S. Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Florence, Italy

Italy: S. Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Florence, is located in the city centre.  The northern side of the monument is close to a busy street along which several bus routes pass, whereas the south facing part is located in a pedestrian area. A small street passing behind the Cathedral is open to residential traffic, taxis and motorbikes and, although forbidden, some motorbikes can be seen in the pedestrian area. The monument (13th-19th century) is 153 m long and 90 m wide. The building stones used,  all quarried in Tuscany, are Carrara Marble from the Apuanian Alps, Serpentino, a green metamorphic rock from Prato, and Rosso Maremma, a red micritic limestone from the Chianti area. All the materials are employed as covering flagstones for the external areas of the building.

National Museum in Krakow, Poland

Poland: The National Museum, Cracow, designed by Czesław Boratyński, Edward Kreisler and Bolesław Schmidt, was constructed - with intervals - from 1934 to 1989. In 1998, when special lifts were installed, touring the Museum became possible for visitors with disabilities. The Main Building is home to three permanent galleries:Arms and Uniforms in Poland, Gallery of Decorative Art , 20th-Century Polish Art.  The showrooms of the Main Building host temporary exhibitions presenting - in keeping with the Museum’s mission - works drawn from internal holdings as well as objects on loan from other institutions or private collectors.

Teatro Arriaga, Bilbao, Spain

Spain: Teatro Arriaga, Bilbao, is an opera house and it was built in Neo-baroque style by architect Joaquín Rucoba in 1890, the same architect that built the city hall. It is named after Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, known in his time as the “Spanish Mozart”. On the night of 22 December 1914, a fire burnt it almost to ashes. Architect Federico de Ugalde was charged with the task of rebuilding the Arriaga Theatre. He renewed all building’s entire structure, making it larger and safer.The theater was rebuilt in 1985 after severe flooding destroyed it in August 1983. Currently, the Arriaga Theatre is owned entirely by the municipality and is managed by a private limited company that was incorporated on 3 October 1986. During this new phase, the theatre has welcomed first class artists and performances. It has offered many premiers and has even produced shows that have travelled to cities all over the world.

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany

Germany: Cologne Cathedral, started in 1248,  ranks among the most outstanding examples of Gothic architecture worldwide. Since 1996 the cathedral is part of the UNESCO world-heritage.  The church is situated in the heart of the city, surrounded by motorcar and railway traffic. The building material consists of different types of stone, mainly trachyte, sandstone, shell-limestone and basalt. Dependent on their individual durability the stone surfaces are more or less heavily deteriorated by air pollution. This does also apply for the large amount of precious stained glass windows. Not only the exterior,  also the interior is under environmental stress. Cologne Cathedral is an important pilgrim site, where millions of offering candles are burnt all the year round. Besides, masses of tourists – around 5 million per annum – bring about dust, soil and humidity. As the cathedral houses a wealth of important works of art, the disadvantageous indoor climate causes manifold serious problems.

National Gallery, Oslo, Norway

Norway: Oslo National Gallery was drawn in the new renaissance style by the architects H.E. Schrimer and son. The mid part was finished in the 1880s, when the gallery was also established. The southern wing was build in 1904 - 07, the northern wing in 1918 - 24. The building is built in brick. The building is located in the central part of Oslo which was from the first half of the 1900th century built with the monumental, public and administrative buildings needed in the new Norwegian state, established in union with Sweden from 1814, and as an independent state from 1905.

Bab Al Mrissa, Salè, Morocco

Morocco: Historical complex of the City of Salè, located on the right flank of the Bou Regreg River and extended over 90 hectares,  was founded since the 11^th century during the Almoravide  and Almohad periodes. The medina is surrounded by imposing ochre-coloured ramparts, a long about five Kilometers, showing several towers and monumental gates (Bab elMaalqa, Bab Khmiss, Bab Bab Sebta, …), which have been renewed and restored at different periods of their history. These historical buildings, which are among the oldest city wall in Morocco, are built of Plio-Quaternary limestone called “Salé Stone” and characterized by a quite high porosity, an average porosity and a good mechanical resistance. In addition to non thought constructions on the walls and high traffic vibrations damaging factors, these ramparts are subject to pollution effects due to their exposition near traffic activities.