Background & Scope
Arts Centre Melbourne is Australia’s leading performing arts centre. It was designed by Sir Roy Grounds, with interiors by John Truscott, and opened in stages between 1982 and 1984. The centre is custodian of the Australian Performing Arts Collection, whose costumes, set models and designs are shown in display cases throughout its foyers.
Among the cases in the foyers were three units dating from the centre’s opening. For four decades they had presented objects from the collection, and their brass frames were part of the building’s original interior character. Replacing them would have meant losing a piece of that history.
Original Sliding Fronts & Refurbishment Brief
Time, however, had taken its toll. Each case opened through a two-part sliding glass front. Where the panels overlapped, the frames cut a vertical line through the display and interrupted the view of the objects inside. The sliding mechanism also looked dated beside more recent exhibition furniture. The brass had dulled with wear, and some of the glass needed attention.
Arts Centre Melbourne wanted to keep the cases in service and in keeping with the building. It also wanted to give visitors a clear, uninterrupted view and give staff simple, secure access when changing displays. The brief was a display case refurbishment that would respect the originals while bringing them up to contemporary standards of presentation and security.
Off-Site Refurbishment at Braeside
EMT removed the three cases and carried out the full display-case refurbishment at its Braeside workshop. Working off-site kept disruption in the foyers to a minimum and gave the team controlled conditions for each stage of the work.
The sliding fronts were replaced with a lift-out glass front on each case. Each display case measures 1,800 x 700 x 450 mm and is made from museum-grade safety glass. With no tracks or meeting frames crossing the view, visitors now see the objects without interruption.
Hidden Locking & Manual Access
Brass Restoration, Glazing & Reinstallation
Existing glass was repaired or replaced where needed. The original brass frames were sanded, polished and resurfaced, restoring the warm finish that suits the centre’s interiors. The completed cases were then transported back to Arts Centre Melbourne and reinstated in the foyers.
The result is three cases that keep their original character while meeting the needs of a contemporary display. Visitors get a clear view, the security is discreet and staff have easy access. The project shows how a careful display case refurbishment can extend the life of original museum furniture rather than replace it.
