Workshop on energy efficient museum storage

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Copyright Mary and Angus Hogg

A cleit - a storehouse on the abandoned island of St. Kilda off the west coast of Scotland. The good ventilation is to keep both the temperature and the RH equal to that outside so there is no condensation, while the stone labyrinth collects the frequent mist and drains it safely away.

At the warmer end of the UK is the cold store at Queen Victoria's residence on the Isle of Wight. The ornate entrance leads to a short corridor opening at a high point within a cylindrical room made in brick with a cavity. This was filled with ice shipped in from the north eastern USA. Meltwater drains from the bottom to the foot of the north facing hillside.