Age and condition of certain works of art or objects require special protection in order to slow down their deterioration. In some instances fluctuations in relative humidity levels must be kept within strict control at a certain predetermined level, in others, normal oxygen content in the air can accelerate the deterioration of the artifact. Micro-climate vitrines were conceived to address the physics and chemistry of the decay of artifacts brought about by environmental factors: heat, humidity, pollution and light.

At times a work of art that is scheduled to go on tour needs to be protected to prevent damage from environmental conditions or organisms. In all these cases, an air-tight enclosure needs to be built around the artifact which is filled with an inert atmosphere and/or chemical substances to control oxygen content and/or humidity level and maintain these levels regardless of the ambient conditions outside the enclosure. We can think of this as a micro-climate within the glass faced enclosure or vitrine, a kind of space suit for artwork.

There are many considerations when designing a micro-climate vitrine. Ambient temperature changes result in changes on the relative humidity and pressure inside the containment. Atmospheric pressure variation caused by weather or changes in altitude, outgassing emenating from the art object itself, are just some of the most obvious issues that need to be taken into account. Additionally, we must consider the aesthetic and stylistic requirements of the work as well and provide a micro-climate vitrine that provides a protective housing.

Enclosing a work in a micro-climate vitrine is justified when one needs to display a work of art in venues with unpredictable ambient conditions, or when a work will need to be shipped by air or ocean freight where temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure will vary unpredictably.

Micro-climate vitrines are essentially air- tight enclosures that provide stable humidity levels (via preconditioned desiccant bulk) to the artwork housed in them in a sealed atmosphere. There are usually molecular sieves enclosed as well to absorb any out-gassing from the artifact. Usually, the cavities are filled with an inert gas like Argon and are fitted with a diaphragm which allows for the atmospheric pressure inside the vitrine to equalize with the ever changing ambient pressure. This feature eliminates any pressure differences and minimizes the possibility of atmosphere exchange. In rare cases we provide temperature control as well, however this feature requires access to a reliable source of power. Visual indicators are always enclosed to enable the monitoring of the micro-climate. Advanced data loggers and wireless sensors can be added to provide for remote monitoring.

Each art object has different needs according to its composition, construction and condition. Improperly engineered enclosures can actually damage their contents by trapping moisture condensation and harmful out gassing from the object. The object needs to be accurately acclimatized to the desired relative humidity at the planned display temperature, prior to insertion into the vitrine and all this necessitates fairly complex procedures and handling.