In December of 2019, The Sarasota Museum of Art opened its doors after having been transformed from a dilapidated old 1920s building, originally built as Sarasota High School. Through a partnership between the Ringling College of Art and Design and the local community, this historic landmark was completely renovated and transformed into the Sarasota Museum of Art, the region's first contemporary art museum.
The 57,000-square-foot building was originally designed by esteemed Florida architect M. Leo Elliot, and it was constructed in the Collegiate-Gothic style. As a project of historical significance, the revitalization team was sharply focused on maintaining the original look and feel of the architecture.
Ensuring the exterior building envelope was secure from water and air leaks, as well as making sure it is impact-resistant was the primary goal. In addition to tuck pointing all of the brick and replacing the roof, all of the windows had to be replaced.
The existing windows had all exceeded their life span, and many of them had broken lites, air and water leaks,and and they were extremely weak in terms of impact resistance. Lawson Group Architects, Inc. developed a plan to replace the windows. Glazing contractor Key Glass pulled apart the existing wooden window frames for reference as they recreated a window system design that would meet current building codes while maintaining the look of the historic windows. The team selected YKK AP America's YOW 225 TUH thermally broken window system which included insulating, laminated low-E units from Oldcastle Building Envelope.
YKK AP customized their window system design with unique trim, mutins and other details to replicate the image of the original wood-framed windows. The new windows feature an enhanced perimeter glazing leg and simulated divided lites, including a grid on top of the interior and exterior glass that is structurally glazed to the glass with 3M tape. YKK AP also produced a window with a projection at the top to serve as an air vent, which was an architectural feature requested by the design team.
With all of the renovations that were made to this building, community leaders can take pride in the stability and longevity of the new Sarasota Museum of Art. The end result is a Sarasota landmark that is in keeping with its original aesthetic while balancing the up-to-date performance of the building.
