Showcase lighting




	We have always had a big input into the design and specification of the showcases on our projects. We realised that many galleries were being spoilt by the client purchasing cases with just the manufacturer’s standard lighting in. This often consisted of simple fluorescent lamps above a diffusing panel at the top of the case. This leads to over-lighting of the objects on the top shelf and progressively poorer lighting as you go down the case with objects shadowing the ones below them. It seems perverse to invest in high quality lighting for a gallery space and then to compromise on the lighting of objects in cases within that gallery. Good quality case lighting provides a mix of directional lighting to bring out the modelling and texture of objects combined with soft fill lighting to reduce harsh shadows and light the background to the objects. Each type and class of object may need a different mix or balance between these two components. Illustrated below are some of the special cases that we have been involved with. Some are standard cases with special lighting installed and some are purpose designed cases where the lighting has been an integral part of the design. See our special guide to case lighting here. Read, copy and use our standard case lighting specification here.

Wallace Collection

We designed special fibre-optic lighting systems for these magnificent new mirror-backed porcelain cases. The photo on the right shows the two types of case and that on the left shows the concealed adjustable fibre-optic lighting in the top of the cases. Even with mirror backs to the cases little of the lighting equipment is visible.

Link to Wallace Collection page


	Waddesdon manor For the special print collection cases at Waddesdon manor we worked with the French furniture makers to design special shelves that have fibre-optic lighting built in. The photograph on the left show the top of a shelf removed to fit the fibres and then, on the right, with the shelf ‘lid’ put on. Extra fibre-optic lighting is concealed behind the front edge of the top of the case and the bottom of the case. Link to Waddesdon Manor page.

	Brontë Parsonage Museum These purpose designed cases had special lighting designed that enables them to be used in three different orientations. The lighting consists of a vertical post at each corner of the base unit, each has four adjustable lenses mounted on eyeball fittings. The posts are connected by fibre-optic tails to dimmable 50W tungsten-halogen projectors housed in the plinth below cases to achieve total illuminance of 50 Lux. The fibre-optic connection system is sufficiently flexible to allow the display cases to be moved to any of the three different orientations. Link to Brontë Parsonage Page.

	Mini-cases The photo to the left shows the graphics panels designed by the Exhibition Designer Nigel Simpkins. Within each of these interpretation panels is a small case containing objects relevant to the subject of the board. As many of these objects were organic materials with strict conservation limits we lit them by just one or two 3 Watt tungsten-halogen capsule bulbs, depending on the case size. In order to make the lamps unobtrusive, we designed reflector holders which could be hidden within the case walls. Link to People’s History Museum page

	Conversion of former billiard cue case Our innovative design for this shallow manuscript case illustrate our tailored approach to each case. We used small glass capsule lamps in special reflectors to throw light as evenly as possible across the case from each side. The lamps and reflectors were contained in a borosilicate glass tube on each side of the case. This ensured that the heat from the lamps did not enter the case but rather was exhausted from the tops of the tubes above the case. Over a day of operation the interior temperature of the case rose by just 1°C. The small lights illuminated the exhibits in a way that allowed maximum appreciation by the viewer, without risk of damage by light or heat. This was a unique and successful way to light this difficult case. Note: This design was carried out in the early 1990s and if we were doing it again now we would probably use fibre-optics or white LEDs in place of the capsule bulbs.