Rhodes House

The museum and collection

Rhodes House is a magnificent building in the center of Oxford and part of city’s University. It has proven to be a desirable location for many events and all kinds of meetings.

The assignment

Meyvaert was presented with a challenge when asked to design a case for a William Morris tapestry to make it look like it had always been there. For our sympathetic design we let ourselves be inspired by the oak panels of the gallery and the black marble skirting.

The tapestry from the Arts and Crafts era had been suspended from a bamboo cane in the Rhodes House for over 60 years. It had become dirty and the building had a moth problem. We created a high-tech case with a tilt and slide opening system and a good air tightness. The black marble skirting was reflected by using Corian and because the case was places opposite a window, we used low reflective glass to reduce glare. The case was also provided with dimmable lighting mounted in the base, which we hid from view with a sloping label holder. We replicated the form and moldings of the surrounding oak panels. Then we went to great lengths to match the tone and colour of the timber to the surrounding panels in the building.

The project: challenges & result

The finished case has been very well received by Rhodes House and stands as an example of how to create a very specific solution for a unique location. We managed to make it look as though it has always been there.