Making waves

The Thomson Collection of Ship Models

The Art Gallery of Ontario's Thomson Collection of Ship Models is little short of stunning. Our design brief came from Gehry International, and we executed it in partnership with Maltbie. Together, we created a range of beautiful exhibits, environments and unique showcases to house this remarkable collection.

The project emphasised flowing curves and natural materials. The intention being to create spaces that are at the same time impressive and accessible - an organic and welcoming environment in which gallery visitors can feel comfortable and included. Upon seeing the architect's gallery model with showcases sculpted in 3D with curves of solid acrylic, many said these cases could not be built. We proved our ingenious construction solutions through mock-ups and a 3 metre prototype glass section to the delight of the client team.

Making it real

Our response to this challenge has been to create something unique - curved glass showcases described by Chuck Maltbie, President of Maltbie as "an exquisite and incredibly complex design". The curved glass case geometry required for this ground-breaking concept demanded rigorous test design, and pushed the latest computer-aided design technology to the absolute limits. The amazing wave-profile glass showcases demonstrate our ability to turn a designer's vision into reality - without compromise.

"The ClickNetherfield Maltbie team was the ideal partner for this project" said Linda Milrod, Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs, AGO. "Not only were they able to fast-track the design, development, client consultation and fabrication of these great showcases, they also brought their unique capabilities to the partnership of Gehry International and the AGO. They are an amazing team that was consistently able to pull off what often seemed impossible".

The Thomson Collection of European Art

This collection features over 900 works of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art, all on view for the first time at the AGO. The highlight is the recently rediscovered Rubens masterpiece "The Massacre of the Innocents".

We built a range of cases that work in harmony with Gehry International's stunning granite, marble and copper-clad rooms, complementing the beautiful objects on display.

Working with Douglas Fir, galvanised metal and mitred glass, we and Maltbie have created something unique and special. As Ryan Skorch, Projects and Development Director, Maltbie puts it "In any gallery, you don't want people looking at the casework, you want them looking at the special objects they're designed to hold; but from the back-lit label decks and the object illumination to the ingenious design and construction, we believe these displays set a new standard for museums and galleries".

ClickNetherfield was the ideal partner: an amazing team who are consistently able to pull off what seemed impossible.

Linda Milrod,
Deputy Director,
Curatorial Affairs,
AGO