A Legacy in Glass: 20 Years of Making the Impossible Possible at Die Neue Sammlung

At Goppion, we design for longevity—but even the most advanced cases sometimes need careful updates. Retrofitting ensures our past innovations continue to meet the highest standards of conservation and performance. Two decades after creating one of our most ambitious display cases, we returned to Die Neue Sammlung at Pinakothek der Moderne to extend its life for another generation.

Goppion has been in business for more than 70 years. During our storied history we have been called upon to conserve and protect a vast range of art and artefacts of all shapes, sizes and ages, displayed in buildings both ancient and modern around the world.

In that time, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve faced and solved innumerable challenges along the way; developing new solutions, adapting and refining our ideas. We believe in building things to last, and we also retrofit past projects when required because we also believe in the importance of sustainability.

And sometimes we have been called upon to deliver what others may deem “impossible”.

Such was the scenario when we began our collaborative journey with Munich’s pioneering design museum Die Neue Sammlung. This renowned institution relocated in 2002 as part of the then-new Pinakothek der Moderne complex. The new building at last allowed the Museum’s collections to be displayed permanently for the first time, after spending the previous 75 years in a ‘temporary’ building with restricted public space.

Led by Director Florian Hufnagl, and Vice Director and Chief Curator Corinna Rösner, Die Neue Sammlung had a highly ambitious vision for its gallery centerpiece. They imagined a huge, illuminated cuboid display case, running along a 60 meters long wall, that would look as if it was suspended in mid-air. Hufnagl christened it ‘the sarcophagus of Snow White’, imagining a showcase that not only displayed and protected the objects within, but also celebrated the pure beauty of the glass, as a light, bright statement piece in its own right.

Looking back when interviewed by Goppion recently, Corinna Rösner explained: ‘We needed a showcase that wouldn't look like a vitrine, like a normal cabinet, and it mustn't have anything to do with furniture. It shouldn't be furniture-like at all, because on the opposite side of our exhibition space, there were furniture displays, so there should be a clear division between the display showcase and the furniture displayed in the exhibition.’

The Museum’s singular vision also required the display case to accentuate the building’s architecture. It had to work with a diagonal wall that cuts through the building and shapes the exhibition space. However, the low ceiling also added a need for the structure to appear weightless, too. Rösner reflected that this demanded ‘maximum light, no legs on the floor, nothing heavy binding it to the ground, and nothing connecting it with the walls, either.’

Some engineering firms considered the Museum’s vision unachievable, declaring it technically impossible to build.

Rösner recalls meeting Goppion’s team for the first time to discuss the impossible project: ‘We sat on a long table [with] all the master engineers, all those really skillful people, Sandro Goppion, and at the head of the table,[Sandro’s father] Nino Goppion. They listened carefully, and then fell into a silence, pondering a while. Sandro was very calm, and then, all of a sudden, he said: “Let's try it – we want to do it.”’

The result is one of Goppion’s greatest achievements. The ‘floating’ display case took over two years to design, prototype, test and produce, with just two months devoted to production and assembly. Throughout the process, Goppion was able to meet the highly exacting demands of a museum dedicated to design, and at the same time, we fulfilled the preservation requirements of all objects as instructed by their Restoration Department.

‘Snow White’s sarcophagus’ became an important technological, aesthetic and durable contribution to the new museum. Reflecting on her experience collaborating with Goppion, Corinna Rösner reflects, ‘We wanted the impossible, Goppion made it come true. For me, it was experiencing the best of Italian culture, you know...the open communication, very precise thinking and the imagination to think about something never done before.’

But the collaboration with Die Neue Sammlung didn’t end there. Goppion products are built to last, and they can be retrofitted as needed over time. Two decades on, we returned to Die Neue Sammlung to carry out a retrofitting intervention on the display case. And, keeping it in the family, this time it was Bruno Goppion, Nino’s grandson, overseeing the project. As part of our company’s commitment to sustainable practice, we replaced adhesives and seals, retrofitted the opening system that raises the glass panels and adjusted the system for supporting the glass shelves.

The display case remained in perfect condition for 20 years without maintenance, and with this retrofitting, it is set to last another two decades before requiring further intervention. This project is a testament to Goppion’s enduring commitment to quality, enabling institutions like Die Neue Sammlung to extend the lifespan of their display cases well beyond expectations while maintaining the highest conservation and structural standards.

Hufnagl and Rösner’s vision of ‘something very light, weightless and shining’ remains a much-admired centerpiece for a new generation of visitors to enjoy as part of their experience at Pinakothek der Moderne.