In 2018, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City embarked on a major renovation of The Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, a renowned 11,000-square-foot exhibit featuring over 5,000 specimens from 98 countries. As part of this transformation, PICCO was called upon to engineer structural support solutions for seven large mineral specimens, including a 3,800 lb labradorite column, a 4,000 lb golden beryl, a 7,300 lb azurite crystal, and two 10,000 lb geodes. The most complex challenges, however, involved an 11,000 lb fractured Granite with garnet inclusions and an 18,000 lb fluorescent willemite. Unlike the other specimens, which were housed in lightweight display cases, these two required exposed structural solutions that balanced both support and aesthetic discretion. PICCO devised a freestanding base for the garnet, ensuring stability without anchoring to the existing floor slab. The design incorporated a weighted base with threaded vertical rods for lateral support, allowing visitors to experience the specimen up close while adhering to strict exhibit constraints.

The Willemite posed further challenges due to structural limitations in the 153-year-old building. Initial plans to anchor it to an adjacent wall were derailed when the construction team discovered a hidden void behind a former window opening, rendering the expected support unusable. Additionally, the existing concrete slab was unable to bear the weight of the massive specimen. To resolve this, PICCO leveraged the void as a structural 'shelf' and devised an adjustable anchoring strategy to reassemble the stone's four split sections into a cohesive whole. During shop handling, one of these sections cracked, necessitating a precise repair strategy using epoxied threaded rods to maintain structural integrity without compromising aesthetics. Despite unforeseen delays caused by the pandemic, the exhibit successfully reopened in June 2021. PICCO later visited the completed installation in early 2022, seeing firsthand how innovative engineering solutions brought these extraordinary specimens to life. The team looks forward to future collaborations with the museum, continuing to push the boundaries of stone engineering in cultural and historical settings.