Museum & Gallery Display Cases: Vitrines, Lighting and Security
Seal the case, not just the glass
Dust is the enemy in a gallery, and dust comes in through the gaps. A case built for artefacts needs silicone or brush gaskets on every opening, sealed cable entries and a base plinth that sits down to the floor. Loose-fitting glass lids and open-fronted shelving look the same in a photograph and behave completely differently after two years.
Choose glazing for the reflection, not the price
Standard glass reflects the visitor's face, the floor and every ceiling light in the room. Low-iron glass removes the green cast of thick panels, and anti-reflective coated glass removes most of the reflection itself — which is why the same object can look dull in one gallery and convincing in another. Where the glazing is doing security work rather than acting as a window, laminated glass of 6.4 mm or more is the usual minimum.
Light the object, and only the object
Current practice is dimmable warm LED at low intensity, aimed with adjustable fittings so that a single object is lit and nothing else is. Remote-driver LED keeps both heat and cabling out of the case, which matters where the contents are paper, textile or painted. Keep the fitting out of the visitor's line of sight, and put the driver and dimmer where staff can reach them without opening the case.
Lock it so that one person can open it safely
Access matters as much as security. A hinged front on gas struts lets a single curator open a large vitrine without a second pair of hands; a sliding glass door needs a track that stays clean; and a lift-off lid means the glass has to be stored somewhere during an install. Locks should be metal-bodied with a cam, and keys should be few and held by named staff.
Plan for the case to be moved
Galleries re-hang. Cases on adjustable feet with levelling plates survive a floor change better than cases on castors alone, and a plinth that stands clear of the wall lets a case be pulled forward for a new hang without dismantling the display.
Opening a gallery, a museum store or a heritage display? Send your floor plan and the objects you need to protect for a free 3D design of your vitrines, lighting and plinths — we manufacture, QC and deliver DDP to your country, duty paid.
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