Everything You Need to Know About Art Storage Part 4
With a commitment to reimagining collections storage and services, our clients are at the center of everything we do. Our purpose-built facilities located across New York are managed by a team of industry-leading experts to ensure our services are upheld to the highest standard of professionalism and care; our state-of-the-art concierge and private storage units are designed to accommodate a multitude of collections for either temporary or long-term storage.
Our unique facilities and quality service make UOVO a one-stop shop for any client. Whether you want to store a single item, an entire collection, or you need temporary storage for a traveling exhibition, you will have access to a secure, climate-controlled space that is built to preserve any object. But you may be wondering: how is it possible for a storage unit to offer such diverse storage options? Let us explain:
Customizable storage units: what are they, exactly?
While our private units are ideal for clients who want frequent access to their collections, they are also highly desirable for clients who need custom storage solutions or the ability to work directly out of their unit. This means that these spaces must be accessible, adaptable, and functional to an array of client needs, down to the smallest detail. With the potential to store any material, medium, or structure, space becomes a critical component when designing a unit.
UOVO Project Manager, Michelle Brick, is part of our in-house team of experts that works directly with clients to create a space that is customized to their specific needs. With purposeful design, our experts can find the right solution for any collection, no matter how complex. Everything can be personalized, from the climate to the bespoke racking systems to the museum-quality lighting; even the flooring can be customized to a client’s preferences.
Building a custom storage unit
The first important factor that project managers must determine is how much space the client will need. At UOVO, our private rooms range from 50 square feet to 50,000 square feet. In order to establish optimal square footage, they begin by analyzing the client’s inventory list, which contains the dimensions and mediums of all the objects that will be included in the unit.
Next, the project managers will uncover other pertinent information about the space, including: how often the client will want access, if they plan to work inside their unit, if they need a viewing wall, and what type of equipment will be needed to move the pieces in and out of storage. These factors can affect the overall design of the unit, so it’s important that Michelle and the project managers know these requirements and specifications when creating a layout to show the client.
Maximizing efficiency
When building racking systems for the unit, we design our shelving to adapt to every collection. Will your unit require painting racks? We can tailor them to match the height and depth of your artwork. Do you have a large collection of couture gowns or clothing of other delicate material? We can create double-height racks that allow garments, for example, to take up less space yet still be easily accessible.
Our project managers are cognizant of how to utilize space to the client’s advantage. With careful planning, objects be stored with maximum efficiency so our clients can continue to grow their collections. We want our clients to be able to keep their collection in their spaces for as long as they want—that means making sure they have more space than they need, rather than needing more space than they have.
More than just a storage unit
As we mentioned before, our project managers want to understand how a client plans to utilize their space before building a customizable storage unit. Some of our clients want to be able to interact their collections, whether that be more frequent access to their items, a desk to work at, or even a nook to take photographs of their artwork. Realizing the functionality of a space is important because our project managers need to build it into the design.
For example, we have a client whose storage unit also functions as a gallery. Michelle designed Pauline Findlay and Rebecca Senior of Artioli Findlay a custom racking plan that gives them quick and easy access to their paintings. Since they no longer operate out of a brick-and-mortar store, this design feature is essential to their business. Pauline and Rebecca regularly host events and invite collectors into their UOVO unit to browse their inventory of artwork, so they need to be able to frequently move pieces around without affecting the rest of their unit.
In such a diverse industry, customizable units have become an essential part of art storage.