Design, supply and fit of museum showcases for The Harris Museum – Harris Your Place Project

Design, supply and fit of museum showcases for The Harris Museum – Harris Your Place Project

The tender documentation provides a full description of the works to be undertaken, but generally the showcases for the new Harris Museum galleries are grouped into two main categories:

‘Type 1’ (Standard Showcase) & ‘Type 2’ (Conservation-Grade Showcase).

Type 1 Standard showcases must be sufficiently well sealed to provide some environmental stability and protect objects from dust, coarse particulate pollutants, insect/pest attack and from handling damage or theft. Cases must be lockable – security screws are acceptable. Locks should be concealed from view, but easily accessible for maintenance.

Type 2 Conservation grade showcases must have 0.1 air change rate or less per day. BSRIA test certificates will be required on certain cases selected by The Harris Museum’s conservators after installation. Internal facility for inclusion of buffering agents, desiccants or pollution absorbents, with a means of diffusion between the tray and the display volume. Perimeter gap of no less than 20 mm required around internal base panel of each case, to facilitate diffusion. The Harris Museum’s conservators to approve number and layout of Artsorb / Prosorb cassettes that need to be accommodated in each internal facility. Provision must be made for environmental monitoring equipment placed inside the display space. Cases should be secured with a minimum of 2 Abloy locks with separate keys. Locks should be concealed from view, but easily accessible for maintenance. Facility for fitting contact alarms is to be integral to the case structure without compromising the seals and air exchange rate.

Cases should be designed for a lifespan of 15 years