Founded in 1870, The Metropolitan Museum of Art — affectionately known as The Met — is one of the world's most important and visited museums, housing over two million works that span five millennia of human history. Located in the heart of New York City, alongside Central Park, the museum is celebrated for its vast and diverse collections, ranging from ancient Egyptian art to European masters and contemporary works. Paintings, sculptures, documents, historical artifacts, and multimedia pieces make up an ensemble that demands meticulously planned exhibition solutions to ensure both preservation and the effective communication of their historical and artistic value.
In 2021, The Met launched one of its most ambitious projects: the renovation of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, dedicated to the Arts of Africa, the Ancient Americas, and Oceania. With a $70 million investment, the initiative encompasses curatorial reorganization, oriented by a more regional and historical approach, as well as architectural interventions. The modernization of the galleries includes enhancements to natural lighting, accessibility improvements, and the incorporation of contemporary museographic systems, designed to optimize conservation and the interpretive experience for visitors.
A key partner in this initiative is Goppion, a specialized manufacturer of high-performance display cases and exhibition systems. Headquartered in Trezzano sul Naviglio, near Milan, Goppion is known for blending artisanal tradition with technological innovation. The company has partnered with some of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions— including the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Vatican—and brought customized solutions to The Met's AOAA collection, renowned for its exceptional material and formal diversity.
Tailor-Made Solutions for a Diverse Collection
The renovation of the Rockefeller Wing exemplifies the inherent complexity of exhibiting a set of over 1,800 works, including African sculptures, ceremonial objects from New Guinea, and pre-Columbian artifacts. To accommodate this variety of typologies, 282 custom display cases were produced, encompassing freestanding, wall-mounted, and suspended models. Among these, notable examples include a freestanding display case over 7 meters long (23 feet 6 inches), equipped with two doors and a central sliding panel, and a wall-mounted case 5.5 meters tall (18 feet), with a glass top closure.
These systems were designed to ensure hermetically sealed environments, fundamental for microclimate control and preventive conservation, yet with the flexibility to allow controlled ventilation, depending on the specific needs of each object. The technical rigor in the development of these cases aimed to balance security and conservation requirements with a discreet presentation that does not interfere with the enjoyment of the works. Goppion also served as the exhibition fabricator for the project—delivering all bases and plinths throughout the galleries.
Close collaboration with WHY Architecture, responsible for the exhibition design, was crucial for aligning technical elements with the curatorial narrative. The exhibition design promotes a spatial reorganization oriented by regional and historical groupings, requiring the creation of distinct environments, each with specific conditions for lighting, climate control, and circulation. The introduction of a strategically positioned sloped glass wall, facing Central Park, significantly increases the presence of natural light in the galleries. To reconcile this intervention with conservation parameters, advanced ultraviolet filtration systems and light intensity controls were implemented, ensuring safe exposure levels for sensitive materials such as textiles, wood, and natural pigments.
Goppion offers a comprehensive range of solutions that meet the multifaceted demands of museum exhibition design, combining technical precision with conservation expertise. Central to its portfolio is the Q-Class Display Case system, exemplifying advanced engineering with modular, airtight structures designed to meet stringent conservation standards while allowing flexible and aesthetic integration within diverse architectural contexts. Complementing this are specialized interior fittings, ensuring secure and stable support for a wide array of objects, from delicate textiles to monumental sculptures.
The company's expertise extends to display case lighting, employing non-invasive, low-heat technologies that provide optimal visual presentation without compromising material integrity. Goppion's approach to conservation is embedded within its display systems, with climate control solutions customized to prevent deterioration caused by fluctuations in humidity, light, and pollutants.
Engineering, Logistics, and Conservation Challenges
Projects of this magnitude also frequently pose challenges that go beyond product engineering. Approximately 40 stone platforms were specially imported from Portugal for the project; some of these featured upper plinths, while all of them had an internal metal structure and integrated systems to securely anchor unstable artworks. The coordination with Portugal, especially regarding shipping logistics, was particularly challenging.
Additionally, the installation of the largest display cases required specific planning: it was necessary to establish a dedicated delivery route, traversing sectors of Central Park and areas of the museum that remained open to the public, ensuring the integrity of the equipment and the safety of visitors throughout the process.
Indeed, museums play a fundamental role in the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of humanity's cultural heritage. By gathering, conserving, and exhibiting objects that testify to different historical periods, artistic traditions, and social practices, these institutions promote access to knowledge, foster research, and strengthen mutual understanding between cultures, enabling us to learn from the past and guide reflections and decisions for the future. In this context, the proper conservation of works is an indispensable responsibility, ensuring their material and symbolic integrity for generations to come.
Explore detailed information about Goppion's products and case studies in the ArchDaily Catalog.
