Materials in exhibition design

Following on from her book Die Sprache der Räume. Eine Geschichte der Szenografie [The Language of Space. A History of Scenography] (published in 2021), Erika Thümmel focuses on the materials used to craft exhibition and stage environments. In this systematic compilation, common materials are examined in terms of their chemical, physical, electrical, thermal, mechanical, and acoustic properties.

Historical usage is explained, and questions of durability, weight, price, and ecology are answered. Thus, this book provides a valuable aid to planning and estimation, such as the interaction between certain construction materials and the objects exhibited, as well as issues of fire safety, durability, transportability, weather resistance, budgeting, and ecological impact.

• A book dedicated to the materials commonly used for scenographic purposes
• Paper, wood, textiles, plastics, metals, plate glass, stone, composite materials, paint.
• Examples, history, applications, sustainability

Erika Thümmel, Head of the master’s program in exhibition design at the Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Graz, Austria