Museum curators are often challenged to present artifacts that are within reach of visitors and well illuminated and protected. This was the case with the renovation of the historic Palace at The Archeological Museum of Reggio Calabria also know as National Museum of the Magna Graecia. The challenge put to lighting design and engineering firm Futuroluce, was to illuminate artifacts in more than 200 showcases while preserving visual access to the objects and the minimalist design of the space.
Rather than lighting from outside the cases, Futuroluce imagined that the light source could be part of the material design of the display case and be integrated with the glass. Using an LED source was also critical in protecting the artifacts from UV light and heat. Moreover, LEDs were likely to be the only source that could potentially be integral to the display itself.
Futuroluce was influenced to select Cooledge LINE by its inherent flexibility and materiality. Cooledge LINE offered the breakthrough formula they had been seeking. LINE is a clear, paper-thin material with embedded low-power LEDs. By installing the illumination between sheets of glass and using virtually invisible wiring (possible because of the low voltage) the illumination appears to float above the artifacts like a magician’s illusion.
Positioned above the artifacts and away from visitors, the LINE solution provides ample illumination that can be dimmed by curators if desired. With the appropriate color temperature and high color rendering, it is now possible for visitors from around the world to appreciate the historic objects and clearly see the beauty and detail crafted so long ago.
