prEN 15999

Conservation of cultural heritage - Guidelines for management of environmental conditions - Recommendations for showcases used for exhibition and preservation of cultural heritage

This document defines the characteristics and the conditions for use of showcases for the exhibition of cultural heritage, to reduce the interaction of the environment, complying with the requirements for a better preservation.

Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Leitlinien für die Handhabung von Umweltbedingungen - Empfehlungen für Schauvitrinen, die zur Ausstellung und Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes verwendet werden

Dieses Dokument legt die Merkmale und die Bedingungen für die Verwendung von Schauvitrinen zur Aus-stellung von kulturellem Erbe fest, so dass die Wechselwirkungen mit der Umgebung verringert werden, und die Anforderungen zur besseren Erhaltung erfüllt werden.

Conservation des biens culturels - Lignes directrices pour la gestion des conditions environnementales - Recommandations pour les vitrines destinées à exposer et conserver des biens culturels

Le présent document définit les caractéristiques et les conditions d’utilisation des vitrines pour l’exposition de biens culturels, réduisant les interactions avec l’environnement et conformes aux exigences pour une meilleure conservation.

Ohranjanje kulturne dediščine - Smernice za upravljanje okoljskih razmer - Zahteve za vitrine, ki se uporabljajo za razstavljanje in hrambo kulturne dediščine

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 11-Mar-2012
• ICS: 97.195 - Items of art and handicrafts. Cultural property and heritage
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 346 - Conservation of cultural property
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 346/WG 4 - Environment
• Current Stage: 4097 - End of interruption of work - split/merged
• Start Date: 08-Apr-2011
• Completion Date: 08-Apr-2011
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 15999:2009 - Conservation of cultural heritage - Guidelines for management of environmental conditions - Recommendations for showcases used for exhibition and preservation of cultural heritage

Relations

• Split Into: EN 15999-1:2014 - Conservation of cultural heritage - Guidelines for design of showcases for exhibition and preservation of objects - Part 1: General requirements
• Effective Date: 07-Mar-2023
• Child: EN 15999-1:2014 - Conservation of cultural heritage - Guidelines for design of showcases for exhibition and preservation of objects - Part 1: General requirements
• Effective Date: 16-Apr-2011

Overview

prEN 15999: Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Guidelines for Environmental Management in Showcases is a European standard developed by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 346. This standard provides comprehensive recommendations for the design, construction, and use of showcases intended for exhibition and preservation of cultural heritage objects. The main goal is to establish controlled environmental conditions that minimize the degradation risks caused by humidity, pollutants, light, and physical security threats.

With increasing cultural tourism and exhibition activities, prEN 15999 supports museum professionals, conservators, and display designers by offering best practices to safeguard valuable artifacts. Utilizing showcases as controlled environments helps maintain the integrity and longevity of cultural items under public display.

Key Topics

Showcase Functions

• Protection and Display: Showcases not only present objects attractively but also protect them from environmental hazards.
• Environmental Isolation: Reduce air exchange to limit ingress of dust, pollutants, and moisture.
• Security: Safeguard items against theft, vandalism, and physical damage.
• Microclimate Control: Maintain stable temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions.

Design and Materials

• Selection of stable, inert, and neutral materials that do not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Inclusion of technical compartments for microclimate regulation, lighting control, and pollutant filtration.
• Incorporation of support devices that ensure object stability without exerting harmful tensions.
• Use of sealants and glazing that match safety and environmental preservation criteria.

Environmental Management

• Monitoring and controlling temperature, relative humidity, lighting levels, and pollutant concentration inside the showcase.
• Use of buffers and filters to resist fluctuations in humidity, acidity, or temperature.
• Recommendations for preventing dust and microbial contamination within enclosed volumes.

Security Considerations

• Use of safety glazing and robust frame construction to prevent unauthorized access.
• Installation of alarm systems and fixed anchoring to walls or floors when required.
• Mechanisms to ensure double locking points on accessible display leafs and tamper-proof fixtures like anti-theft screws.

Applications

prEN 15999 serves a vital role in multiple cultural and exhibition environments:

• Museums and Galleries: Implementation of showcases designed as per the standard supports the safe public display of paintings, artifacts, textiles, and fragile historical objects.
• Archival Institutions: Ensures that delicate documents and archival materials are preserved inside controlled showcase environments.
• Cultural Heritage Sites: Enables temporary or permanent exhibitions in situ, minimizing environmental damage during display.
• Exhibition Designers and Fabricators: Provides technical guidelines that inform the manufacture and installation of bespoke display cases suitable for sensitive collections.
• Conservation Professionals: Helps conservators assess risks and select appropriate display solutions that conform to preservation best practices.

By following prEN 15999, institutions can effectively balance exhibition aesthetics with the critical need for object conservation through rigorous environmental control and material selection.

Related Standards

• EN 15757: Specifies guidelines for temperature and relative humidity fluctuations in museums.
• ISO 18902: Guidelines for storage materials and conditions for archival documents.
• CEN/TC 346 Standards: Broader portfolio covering conservation of cultural heritage including environmental monitoring and risk management.
• EN 16793: Conservation standards for protective glazing in heritage preservation.
• ISO 11799: Requirements for archival storage furniture and enclosures.

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Keywords: cultural heritage conservation, showcase guidelines, exhibition preservation, environmental management, microclimate control, museum display cases, conservation materials, pollution control, artifact protection, prEN 15999.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2009
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=DKWHYH]DYLWULQHNLVHXSRUDEOMDMR]DUD]VWDYOMDQMHLQKUDPERNXOWXUQHGHGLãþLQH
Conservation of cultural heritage - Guidelines for management of environmental
conditions - Recommendations for showcases used for exhibition and preservation of
cultural heritage
Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Leitlinien für die Handhabung von Umweltbedingungen
- Empfehlungen für Schauvitrinen, die zur Ausstellung und Erhaltung des kulturellen
Erbes verwendet werden
Conservation des biens culturels - Lignes directrices pour la gestion des conditions
environnementales - Recommandations pour les vitrines destinées à exposer et
conserver des biens culturels
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 15999
ICS:
97.195 Umetniški in obrtniški izdelki Items of art and handicrafts
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
DRAFT
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
September 2009
ICS 97.195
English Version
Conservation of cultural heritage - Guidelines for management
of environmental conditions - Recommendations for showcases
used for exhibition and preservation of cultural heritage
Conservation des biens culturels - Lignes directrices pour Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Leitlinien für die
la gestion des conditions environnementales - Handhabung von Umweltbedingungen - Empfehlungen für
Recommandations pour les vitrines destinées à exposer et Schauvitrinen, die zur Ausstellung und Erhaltung des
conserver des biens culturels kulturellen Erbes verwendet werden
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 346.

If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which
stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language
made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and to
provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without notice and
shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2009 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 15999:2009: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3
Introduction .4
1 Scope .5
2 Normative references .5
3 Terms and definitions .5
4 Principles and components of a showcase for exhibition of objects .6
4.1 Functions of the showcase .6
4.2 Criteria of design or choice of the showcase .6
4.3 Components of the showcase .6
4.3.1 Exhibition volume .7
4.3.2 Technical compartments .7
4.3.3 Base and attachment unit of the showcase .7
4.3.4 Device of presentation of the collections .7
4.4 Security .8
5 Preservation recommendations for showcases exhibiting cultural objects .8
5.1 Constituting materials, assembly and fixing .8
5.1.1 Characteristics of constituting materials .8
5.1.2 Assembly and fixing .9
5.2 Management of the environmental conditions .9
5.2.1 Principle .9
5.2.2 Climate .9
5.2.3 Lighting . 10
5.3 Pollutants, dust and micro organisms . 11
5.4 Conditions of use of the showcase . 11
Bibliography . 12

Foreword
This document (prEN 15999:2009) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 346 “Conservation of
cultural heritage”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
Introduction
Better material knowledge of objects and their interaction with the environment, results in better preservation.
With increasing development of mass cultural tourism the number of exhibitions and visitors are likely to
continue to expand in the future.
In light of this new knowledge, and to prevent risks of decay related to the exhibitions, the showcase is a
useful tool to preserve and protect objects.
In a showcase, environmental parameters such as hygrometry, dust, pollutants, and risks of physical damage
such as theft, and vandalism can be better controlled.
This document concerns all those in charge of the preservation and the exhibition of cultural heritage objects
or in charge of designing, making or fitting out showcases.
1 Scope
This document defines the characteristics and the conditions for use of showcases for the exhibition of cultural
heritage, reducing environmental interaction, and complying with the requirements for better preservation.
2 Normative references
Not applicable.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
absorption
physical/chemical process that occurs when a gas or liquid solute diffuses into a solid to form a solution or is
transported and kept into the volume by capillary forces
3.2
accessibility
physical capability of intervention in a display case: handling of an object, technical intervention, and
maintenance
3.3
buffers
material which resists change of relative humidity, acidity, or temperature, by adsorbing/adsorbing or
desorbing vapours, gases, ions, and heat
3.4
preservation
management of any object or collections of cultural heritage and all actions in order to avoid and minimize any
future deterioration
3.5
conservation material
stable and inert material close to or touching objects and exercising no effect on them or their environment
3.6
microclimate
synthesis of the ambient physical conditions and their variability (e.g. average levels and fluctuations, time and
space distributions) of the atmospheric variables (e.g. temperature, humidity, radiation, air motions) including
heat and mass exchanges with other bodies (e.g. infrared emission, lighting, evaporation/condensation,
particulate deposition) over a period of time representative of all the conditions determined by natural and
manmade forcing factors
3.7
pollutants
gaseous or particulate chemical contaminants introduced into the atmosphere, that damage the environment
and in the specific case of cultural heritage generate corrosion, incrustation, colour fading, soiling, or any other
form of decay
3.8
showcase
a closed container of any dimension, designed to preserve and display objects in safe and secure conditions
3.9
support
device to hold and support an object without interference or damage, guaranteeing its stability
4 Principles and components of a showcase for exhibition of objects
4.1 Functions of the showcase
The fundamental functions of a showcase are:
- to display an object while protecting it,
- to prevent and minimize any kind of adverse effects to the objects,
- to reduce the exchange rate of air and associated components such as water vapour, dust, and pollutants,
between the internal volume and the outside environment,
- to improve object preservation, safety and security.
4.2 Criteria of design or choice of the showcase
The design, the adaptation or the choice of a showcase shall be determined by the aim of showing an object
in conditions of safety and security, and at the same time providing the best conditions needed for the object
preservation. It shall conform to standards or regulations of public institutions.
It is necessary to take into account:
a) the characteristics of the object:
- dimensions (height, width, depth) and weight,
- physical, chemical, and structural nature of the exposed materials,
- brittleness and sensitivity in relation to the material history of the object;
b) the collection management of the institution: turnover of the collections, exhibition duration, handling of the
objects and of the showcase;
c) the maintenance and interior cleaning of the showcase: they shall be easy and without danger for the
objects;
e) the showcase and the public: stability, sufficient space of circulation, lighting;
f) environmental characteristics of the area where the showcase will be located.
d) placement of the object in the exhibition.
4.3 Components of the showcase
The showcase is composed of:
- an exhibition volume for the objects,
- technical compartments with devices to control lighting, microclimate, pollutants and biological deterioration;
- supports;
- a base to ensure static stability.
4.3.1 Exhibition volume
The exhibition volume contains and presents the objects.
It shall be made with stable, inert and neutral materials.
Its dimensions take into account the size of the objects, their condition, props, supports and mountings, the
accessibility and any element of the museographical context.
The contact between the leaf and the frame ensures the permanent sealing of the interior volume. A leaf
allowing access to at least 80% of this volume shall facilitate the handling of the objects or any operations.
It allows the installation of sensors/devices to monitor or control the internal environmental factors and
facilitates the registration of data.
4.3.2 Technical compartments
The technical compartments have their own access allowing for the maintenance of the installations.
The technical compartment dedicated to the regulation of the microclimate of the showcase is related to the
exhibition volume. The air circulation between the technica
...