Removable textile devices to improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings

The paper aims to present innovative studies concerning removable devices for enhancing thermal performances or mitigating criticalities in listed buildings.The first concerns a “high tech” curtain studied for preventing air drafts from the windows, causing different forms of decay in the Sala delle Asse in Castello Sforzesco (Milano), world known for the Leonardo Da Vinci fresco. The second research deals with a new type of “arazzo” (removable and usable seasonally) to improve the insulation of the walls. The study case regards the collection of historic “arazzi” in Sala della Balla, in Castello Sforzesco as well. The focus is to investigate how its main properties affect the thermal exchange with the air and the surfaces where they are applied. A third study case is a masterpiece of listed modern architecture, Casa del Fascio in Como, where the new uses require cooling with the addition of a shadowing system.