British Museum - Meonstoke Wall

A special exhibition of the Meonstoke Wall in the Roman Britain galleries.

When first excavated, this section of wall from a Roman villa was originally intended for open display. However, conservation requirements then dictated that it be housed. The housing had to provide only moderate environmental sealing but easy access for periodic maintenance was required. No standard construction method was considered suitable so Click Netherfield was asked to produce a special glazed frame for the purpose. The wall itself was already in place mounted at an angle in a heavy steel cradle. The frame therefore had to be manufactured off-site and fitted to the cradle with the exhibit in place. The dimensions of the final case were dictated by the cradle housing, with the wall leaving very little room for constructional elements and access mechanisms. The solution, developed in close collaboration with the BM design department, was a substantial front-hinged aluminium frame supported on a single pair of gas struts. The glazing is a single sheet of Schott 'Amiran' non-reflective glass of 2.5 metres square. Stainless steel handrails allow visitors to look closely at the exhibit without excessive wear on the frame or glazing.