Reproduction of carpet impresses fans of Swedish Institute - Finance ...

Posted: 7:45 am Mon, November 28, 2011
By ?BRIAN JOHNSON
Tags: American Swedish Institute, Bruce Karstadt, Swan Turnblad

New carpeting is a replica of the original carpeting installed in the mansion.

Thanks in part to a bit of foresight from previous building caretakers, Swan Turnblad?s former home looks more like its old self again.

Earlier this month, in the first phase of a $21.5 million renovation and expansion project, the American Swedish Institute completed a makeover of the 103-year-old Turnblad Mansion, the institute?s longtime home at 26^th Street and Park Avenue in Minneapolis.

Still in progress is a 34,000-square-foot addition that will link up with the existing 33-room French Chateau mansion.

From a renovation standpoint, the institute set out to restore the mansion to its ?near original? condition from the floor to the ceiling. As part of that effort, workers installed a custom-made replica of the original carpet that covered the grand hall floor, staircase, landing and second-floor balcony.

A good match for the long-gone carpet was possible because some remnants of the original rug were still around.

?When it was pulled up 40, 50 years ago, the people in charge of the institute at the time had the prescience to save several samples of the original carpet,? said Bruce Karstadt, president and chief executive officer of the American Swedish Institute.

The samples were turned over to Aubrey Angelo Inc., a Minneapolis-based provider of custom-made rugs and carpets, which worked with the American Swedish Institute to create a fitting replica.

?Pardon the expression,? Karstadt said, but the accurate reproduction ?floored a lot of people.?

Karstadt said about 1,500 people showed up for a Nov. 19 event in the recently reopened mansion, which made a mycket bra (very good) impression on the guests.

?Everyone is thrilled with the results and impressed by the new facility,? he said. ?There is still a punch list of things that have to be done ? but those are minor aesthetic issues that are being attended to quickly.?

The project has been a long time coming for the American Swedish Institute, which has worked on various expansion and renovation plans since 2000. Its current plan has been in the works for about five years.

Fundraising for the project has been challenging amid the slow economy, but Karstadt told Finance & Commerce last spring that donations have come from ?all different parts of the U.S.? and Sweden. The institute?s website says $11 million in donations and pledges have been raised so far.

In addition to the carpeting, the restoration included restroom upgrades, new classrooms, remodeled meeting space and the construction of the new Hognander Tower, which includes a full-size elevator and stairway.

In the lower-level gallery space, crews uncovered and restored another long-hidden treasure: the original plaster ceiling.

?When we pulled back the suspended ceiling, we discovered that the original plaster was in good shape, so we were able to restore it to near original condition,? Karstadt said. ?It defines a very nice gallery space in the lower level.?

Future plans include the restoration of the mansion?s vintage kitchen, a project that will be expedited with help from a $90,000 grant for a second-place finish in a recent National Trust for Historic Preservation competition.

Meanwhile, the addition on the south side of the building is quickly taking shape. The goal is to have the structure fully enclosed before winter sets in, Karstadt said.

The project, led by St. Louis Park-based Adolfson & Peterson and Minneapolis-based HGA Architects and Engineers, will be a candidate for a high level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, Karstadt said.

A geothermal heating and cooling system and a green roof will help make that possible. Crews have drilled 92 geothermal wells reaching 260 feet into the ground, and a deck system is being installed for a rooftop garden.

Turnblad, a Swedish immigrant and newspaper publisher, lived in the mansion with his wife, Christina, and daughter, Lillian. He founded the American Swedish Institute in 1929, according to the institute?s website.

The addition, which will house an event center, meeting rooms, a caf? and other attractions, is on track for completion in June. The project is tracked via webcam here.

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Source: http://finance-commerce.com/2011/11/reproduction-of-carpet-impresses-fans-of-swedish-institute/

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