Inside MONA: Bespoke Interiors Engineered Around Art

European Museum Technology (EMT) specialises in creating these bespoke museum environments. Led by mechanical engineer Gerhard Mayer, the Melbourne-based company has completed showcase design and fabrication projects for museums, galleries, national libraries and cultural centres across Australia and internationally.

For the library of MONA’s Phrontisterion project, EMT collaborated with Ply Online to produce custom- milled split-dowel plywood panels used as a universal design feature across multiple pieces.

In this interview, Gerhard discusses his path into museum engineering, the materials and technologies behind premium display cases, and the changing role of museum interiors in Australia. Svetlana Karmatskikh from Ply Online joins the conversation to discuss the materials used in the MONA project - why particular products are selected, what properties matter, and how material choice can influence both the performance and appearance of the finished work.

Gerhard, could you tell us about your professional background and the experience that led you into museum showcase design and fabrication?

Gerhard Mayer: My involvement with mechanical work began while I was growing up in Volkach am Main, Bavaria, helping my father transport goods along the Rhine, Main, Neckar, and Mosel rivers. This early experience with machinery laid the foundation for a long-standing interest in solving mechanical problems. In the early 1980s, I developed this tendency by taking an apprenticeship in heavy metalwork and machine building with Interatom, the nuclear power research division of Siemens, and then obtained a trade certificate in engine fitting in 1986 as well as a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cologne.

My time in Australia from 1989 expanded my practical experience in various trades, including plumbing, roofing, motorbike testing, petrochemical engineering, and car mechanics. I returned to Germany, and in 1999 I joined Interium (now known as X Position), a company that manufactures commercial lightboxes. There I met Manfred Frank, which shifted my engineering interests to museum and architectural glasswork. As a result, I was appointed head of European engineering in 2002 and founded European Museum Technology.

I moved my manufacturing base to Melbourne in 2007, and since then, EMT has carried out showcase design and fabrication projects for museums, galleries, national libraries and cultural centres across Australia and abroad, including Dubai, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Paris, Dublin, Hong Kong, and other locations.

MONA is known for challenging convention. What does a truly premium display case look like in a museum like this, and how do you turn its creative vision into reality?

Gerhard Mayer: For MONA, European Museum Technology moves beyond a standardised or conservative approach to museum showcase design. Instead of adapting a museum’s requirements to existing production cases, each display case was designed and built specifically for its purpose and environment, with no constraints on form or material selection. This freedom allowed the highest quality materials to be used for every case, chosen not for convenience but for their suitability to the function and environment. The outcome is a complete suite of bespoke display cases built around the designer’s vision, not a vision adjusted to fit an existing product.

Museums often have strict requirements for conservation and visitor safety. What do you consider when designing and manufacturing an exhibition stand?

Gerhard Mayer: Every material used in fabrication is rigorously tested and certified against the highest European museum showcase standards, safeguarding both visitor safety and the long-term preservation of the artefacts on display. Impact-resistant, shatterproof glass and fire-rated materials are specified without exception throughout the fabrication process.

So... which materials do you typically select for high-end museum display cases?

Gerhard Mayer: Material selection is governed by three considerations, starting with conservation compatibility: every material and finish must be safe for the objects and not compromise their long-term preservation. Wooden sheet materials, known as MDF ZF, for example, are made without added formaldehyde resins, which can contaminate the artefacts. Durability is also a priority: these structures endure daily handling and proximity to thousands of visitors, so the chosen materials must protect the artefacts without fail while maintaining excellent aesthetic quality. Finally, every material is chosen with the visitor’s experience in mind, ensuring clear views from any angle. Glass, for instance, is specified for its low reflectivity and impact resistance, preserving an uninterrupted line of sight to the object. Finally, a thoroughly planned museum-quality lighting system plays a vital role in enhancing the viewer’s experience by precisely accentuating the texture, shape, and colour of the artefact while keeping the focus solely on the object at hand.

How do you balance aesthetics with longevity when choosing materials?

Gerhard Mayer: There is no compromise between the two. Every display case is built with the highest-quality materials available, each rigorously tested and approved against three criteria: aesthetic quality, durability, and preservation performance. A material is not selected until it satisfies all three.

Were other materials or finishes considered, and what ultimately made walnut the preferred choice?

Svetlana Karmatskikh: The designer of the project, provided specifications regarding the radius and height of the dowels. We created a custom cutting tool for this profile shape and produced sample finishes on various hardwoods: beech, maple, ash, oak, and walnut. As I had anticipated, walnut proved to be the best match for the desired colour, and the sample looked luxurious. Different wood species possess unique natural hues that interact with the stain pigment in distinct ways; walnut has a naturally warm, slightly reddish undertone that harmonizes beautifully with and complements the Tasmanian Myrtle. I was very pleased with the colour and overall appearance of the walnut, and the lead designer, Adrian Spinks, also approved the walnut sample.

How were the split-dowel panels finished to achieve the required appearance?

Svetlana Karmatskikh: One of the challenges in this project involved the colour of the facades and the proportions of the half-dowel timber panels. The design for the display cabinets called for a dark wood finish that would still allow the natural grain pattern to show through. I recommended selecting a dark wood species with a pronounced grain and tinting it to an even deeper shade. At the same time, the scale of the wood grain had to be proportionate to the size of the facades and the dowels themselves. The colour of the finished split-dowel panels needed to harmonize with the cabinet back panels, the bronze trim and hardware, and the flooring to create a cohesive interior ensemble.

What are the greatest technical challenges when transporting and installing large showcases inside a working museum?

Gerhard Mayer: European Museum Technology has built its international reputation on fabricating large-scale glass showcases. Transporting and installing these substantial glass panels present the greatest technical challenge. To meet this, EMT operates specialised glass transport and installation equipment engineered specifically for handling panels of this scale. A tightly coordinated team with decades of engineering experience carries out every installation at each stage of design, fabrication, and installation. This experience leaves little to chance, with built-in redundancy at every stage to protect the workers, artefacts, and the wider museum, library or gallery environment.

Of the ambitious museum projects EMT has delivered, which one best demonstrates the scale and complexity of your work?

Gerhard Mayer: Among the numerous demanding projects EMT has delivered internationally, a recent commission at Dangrove Art Storage in Sydney stands out for its scale: a free-standing, self-supporting, frameless cube display case spanning 180 square metres of unencumbered viewing space to house an oversized aluminium sculpture. The structure’s defining technical feature was its low-profile sliding door system engineered to support a 300-kilogram glass panel. The display also incorporated an integrated, diffused lighting system throughout.

Projects of this scale reinforce a consistent lesson: the value of an international network of trusted suppliers and sector-specific service providers, without which engineering and logistics of this complexity would not be achievable.