Renovation and Restoration

Notre-Dame's Grand Organ, as seen before the April 2019 fire

Inside the Monumental Effort to Restore Notre-Dame's Grand Organ

Workers spent four months painstakingly dismantling the musical instrument, which is only set to sound again in 2024

The original sculpture (left) and the "restored" version (right)

Botched Art Restoration in Spain Renders Smiling Statue Unrecognizable

A disfigured carving in Palencia is the latest in a growing list of bungled conservation attempts by amateurs

The Ghent Altarpiece's Adoration of the Lamb panel

New Research on the Ghent Altarpiece Validates Restorers' Rendering of the Mystic Lamb's Alarmingly Humanoid Face

The animal's soul-penetrating gaze was painted over by a second set of artists in 1550 and spent the next five centuries under wraps

The "restored" painting may be a copy of this 17th-century work by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

Botched Art Restoration Renders Virgin Mary Unrecognizable

The failed makeover—one of several to surface in Spain in recent years—has prompted calls for stricter regulation of the field

Moshe Nahon Synagogue in Tangier, Morocco. This is a flattened view of a 360-degree photograph from Diarna’s archives.

Inside the Incredible Effort to Recreate Historic Jewish Sites Destroyed Years Ago

The digital venture, called Diarna, takes you back to painstakingly revived synagogues and destinations once lost to history

Restoration work at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris has paused as France works to control the spread of COVID-19.

Notre-Dame Restoration Pauses Amid France's Two-Week Lockdown

Lead decontamination policies enacted in August are now in conflict with measures to prevent spread of COVID-19

A couple passes by the fence in front of Notre-Dame in Paris on December 24, 2019.

Is Notre-Dame Too Fragile to Be Saved?

The cathedral’s rector says there is a “50 percent chance” that scaffolding will collapse, causing further damage

Left: Half-restored version of Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window" / Right: Unrestored version

Restoration Reveals Long-Lost Cupid Painted Over After Vermeer’s Death

In an unusual move, the Dresden gallery has opted to display the half-restored painting prior to concluding conservation efforts

The new designs call for the reopening of a long shuttered underground passageway that connects the garden to the museum plaza, as well as plans for a new area for large-scale contemporary works, performance spaces and intimate settings for the museum’s masterpiece collections.

Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden to Undergo First Redesign in More Than 40 Years

Hiroshi Sugimoto’s design provides easier access from the National Mall and space for larger installations

Houston's Rothko Chapel Casts a New Light

When the meditative space reopens, a new skylight will filter the right amount of light on the 14 canvasses installed in the artist's octagonal masterpiece

Visitors can still see iconic aircraft, like the Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis (right) and Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis in the centralized “Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall.”

National Air and Space Museum Says Pardon Our Renovation, but Come Anyway

In need of a new facade, the museum undergoes top-to-bottom change, bringing state-of-the-art technology and 21st century stories into its exhibitions

A section of the 18,000-square-foot Cyclorama depicts a pivotal moment: Lt Edward Jones, on horseback, racing to reinforce the Federal line.

Atlanta's Famed Cyclorama Mural Will Tell the Truth About the Civil War Once Again

One of the war's greatest battles was fought again and again on a spectacular canvas nearly 400 feet long. At last, the real history is being restored

The Statue of Liberty’s Original Torch Gets a New Home

The torch, which was replaced in the 1980s, has been moved to a new museum on Liberty Island

People crowding in front of Selma's House on the opening day of the Louis Armstrong House Museum in 2003.

Preserving the Home of Selma Heraldo, Neighbor and Friend of Louis Armstrong

Heraldo bequeathed her home to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which plans to renovate the property with the help of a sizable city grant

General Director Taco Dibbits with "The Night Watch"

You'll Be Able to Watch Rembrandt’s Most Ambitious Work Be Restored In-Person—or Online

Experts at the Rijksmuseum estimate the process of conserving “The Night Watch” is expected to take several years

Artist rendering of the National Mall entrance following the seven-year renovation

What’s Open and What’s Not During the National Air and Space Museum’s Seven-Year Renovation

Visitors might be inconvenienced, but the much-loved Washington, D.C. museum is undergoing a massive revitalization

View of the restored Guarini chapel

21 Years After Fire, Shroud of Turin Chapel Restored to Former Glory

The space, originally designed by priest and mathematician Guarino Guarini, includes a spectacular and intricate wood and marble dome

A light installation by visual artist Edward Raffel titled "Rafter Dance" from the 2017 Rooms to Let: CLE event.

Vibrant Art Installations Infuse New Life into Abandoned Houses in This Cleveland Neighborhood

Hit hard by the recession, Slavic Village is slowly making a comeback with the help of artists and neighborhood groups

Seattle’s Iconic Space Needle Unveils New Look After $100 Million Renovation

The update allows visitors to experience 360-degree views of the city from the observation deck

A scene from The City Without Jews.

1924 Film That Anticipates the Holocaust Found and Restored

A collector found a complete copy of the film at a flea market in Paris in 2015

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