Voz pasiva: museo en obras (B2)

The City Museum on Riverside Walk is closed this year because the entire building is being renovated by a team of heritage specialists. Scaffolding has been erected around the facade, and the main entrance is being repainted by craftsmen who specialise in nineteenth-century colours. Visitors who pass by often stop to watch as old stonework is being cleaned by gentle steam jets.

Inside the hall, the marble floor is being polished by workers who wear soft shoes to avoid scratches. Temporary walls have been installed by the construction firm, and priceless statues are being protected by custom-made boxes lined with foam. Each statue is lifted by a small crane and it is moved slowly to a storage room where temperature is controlled by digital sensors.

The famous clock tower is being restored at the same time. Its copper face is being treated by experts who remove decades of grime without damaging the metal. While repairs are carried out, the mechanism is being serviced by a clockmaker brought from Edinburgh, and missing gears are being replaced by pieces cast in a local foundry.

Audio guides that were used for ten years are being updated by a media company downtown. Old recordings are being re-edited by sound engineers, and new scripts are being written by historians who verify every fact. Translations into five languages are being checked by native speakers before they are uploaded to the new app.

In the basement, ancient pottery is being photographed by a museum photographer who works under special lights. Fragile items are being handled by gloved curators, and each object is being labelled with a barcode that is scanned by inventory software. Broken shards are being glued by conservators who trained in Italy, and their work is being reviewed weekly by the head of collections.

The gift shop is being redesigned by an interior designer who favours natural wood and soft lighting. Shelves are being built by local carpenters, and promotional posters are being printed by a eco-friendly press. While the shop is being prepared, online orders are being fulfilled by staff who work from a temporary warehouse across the river.

Security systems are being upgraded because the old cameras were installed fifteen years ago. New sensors are being fitted by electricians in every gallery, and fire exits are being marked with luminous signs that are visible in smoke. Emergency drills will be rehearsed by all employees once construction is finished, but for now training videos are being watched by teams on laptops in the staff canteen.

Funding for the project was approved by the city council last spring, and additional grants were secured by the museum director through a European heritage fund. Donations from local businesses are being collected by volunteers who organise charity concerts on summer evenings. Every contribution is acknowledged by name on a digital screen that is being installed near the future ticket desk.

School groups that planned visits this term are being contacted by education officers who offer virtual tours instead.

The City Museum While It Is Being Renovated

Comentarios