The Magna Carta Project has been awarded Outstanding Conservation Project of the Year 2025 by the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM), recognizing a decade-long collaboration distinguished by rigorous research, technical innovation, and exemplary public stewardship.
Goppion was honored to contribute to this landmark initiative through the design and fabrication of a new display system for one of the world’s most culturally significant documents: the 1297 Inspeximus issue of the Magna Carta, held by the Australian nation and displayed at Australian Parliament House in Canberra. One of only four surviving copies worldwide, the document was removed from display in 2016 to undergo an extensive program of conservation and research led by the University of Melbourne’s Robert Cripps Institute for Cultural Conservation.
Our involvement built on a long-standing relationship with Magna Carta, having previously designed conservation-grade display cases for other historic copies, including those at Lincoln Castle and Durham Cathedral Museum. For the Australian Inspeximus, however, the context and constraints were unique. The document’s return to public display required a solution capable of delivering museum-grade environmental protection within the highly specific architectural and symbolic setting of Parliament’s Members’ Hall.
Goppion developed a bespoke case-in-case system comprising a freestanding outer showcase housing an inner sealed Preservation Case. The document is presented on a tilting lectern to facilitate curatorial access, while remaining fully protected within an airtight microclimate. Dual passive and active humidity control systems, discreet monitoring components, and rigorously tested low-emission materials ensure long-term stability for this fragile parchment. Particular care was taken to align the case’s materials, finishes, and proportions with the original design language of Parliament House, in close dialogue with the Department of Parliamentary Services and the building’s architectural custodians.
Projects
Magna Carta – Australian Parliament House
The AICCM award recognizes not only the technical achievement of the project, but also the collaborative framework that made it possible. The Magna Carta Project brought together conservators, researchers, engineers, designers, and institutional stakeholders around a shared objective: to safeguard a foundational document of constitutional history while ensuring its continued accessibility to the public.
Now returned to display, the Magna Carta stands once more as a symbol of parliamentary democracy and the rule of law. We are proud that Goppion’s contribution forms part of this internationally recognized conservation effort, and we congratulate all the teams involved on a well-deserved achievement.
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