Given recent high-profile incidents at institutions including the Louvre and the Lalique Museum, we expect security to become an increasingly important consideration in showcase selection and specification. As showcase designers and manufacturers, our fundamental responsibility is to protect the collections entrusted to us, and we anticipate greater emphasis on demonstrable security performance alongside conservation, environmental and aesthetic requirements.
A display case should never be considered in isolation. Rather, it forms one layer within a broader, multi-layered security strategy. The building itself provides the first layer of protection, followed by staff and operational security, alarm and surveillance systems, and finally the physical security of the showcase. Each layer has a distinct role, and the effectiveness of the overall strategy depends on them working together.
This is becoming particularly important as museums and cultural institutions navigate a challenging global environment. Physical attacks and robberies, theft, protests and civil unrest, combined with financial pressures on cultural organisations, are placing greater demands on security planning and operational decision-making. At the same time, budget constraints can lead to difficult choices around staffing, infrastructure and physical security measures. Recent incidents have demonstrated the potential consequences of reducing investment in these areas.
Where operational resources are under pressure, the physical showcase can become an even more critical final layer of protection. This is something we have experienced first-hand. One of our showcases was previously subjected to a serious act of vandalism, with its outer glass layer attacked using mallets, chisels and rocks. Inside was the original sword of William Wallace – which remained completely unharmed.
For us, this serves as a powerful reminder of the vital role that a high-performance display case can play in safeguarding irreplaceable cultural heritage. Careful specification, rigorous security testing and selecting an experienced, trusted manufacturing partner are essential to ensuring that this final layer performs as intended when it matters most.
Looking ahead, we expect security performance to become an increasingly fundamental consideration in showcase design – standing alongside aesthetics, conservation and environmental performance as a key factor in the protection and presentation of collections.
- Gavin Ballantine, Managing Director