Museums Victoria’s Ancient Rome exhibition at Melbourne Museum is a major cultural event, showcasing over 250 Roman relics and artefacts within a carefully considered immersive environment. Theatre Star was pleased to collaborate with the Museums Victoria design team to help realise their vision through bespoke soft furnishing solutions – each designed to complement the collection on display.

“Thanks again for all your work on Rome — we’re really pleased with how everything has come together. The pieces you contributed look fantastic, and the columns in particular are receiving a lot of positive feedback. Your collaborative approach, clear communication, and willingness to develop ideas through prototyping really helped strike a strong balance between aesthetic ambition and practical delivery.”
Alex Cashmore – Senior Exhibition Designer, Exhibitions and Audience Experiences

The project comprised three distinct elements: custom-fabricated soft Roman columns, white IFR backdrop curtains on curved and straight tracking, and black masking drapes – each working together to create a cohesive exhibition environment.

Element 1: Soft Roman Columns

Proposal – Working directly from a designer concept image, Theatre Star was commissioned to create a series of soft Roman columns that would serve a dual purpose: referencing the character of ancient Roman architecture while functioning as considered installation pieces within the exhibition space.

Challenge – Translating a two-dimensional concept into a three-dimensional soft textile structure required practical workshop development. Theatre Star’s team worked through the design in our Kilsyth workroom, hand-cutting and shaping multiple top and bottom profile samples until the ideal column silhouette, structural integrity, and hanging weight were achieved. Installation was coordinated alongside numerous other trades and existing museum displays, requiring careful planning throughout.

Solution – Fourteen columns were manufactured, each 600mm in diameter and 5,400mm in height. Theatre Star’s Cascade IFR Satin was selected as the base fabric — an inherently flame retardant cloth that softly diffuses internal LED lighting while remaining fully compliant with National Construction Code requirements. Each column was fitted with internal LED lighting fixtures capable of illuminating to any colour, allowing them to function as both architectural features and dynamic lighting elements.

Outcome – The finished columns are a visual highlight of the exhibition – distinctive enough to be features in their own right, while remaining sympathetic to the artefacts they surround. Museums Victoria staff and visitors have reported a positive response to the columns throughout the exhibition’s run.

Element 2: White IFR Backdrop Curtains & Tracking

Proposal – To provide a clean backdrop for the Roman relics and display cases, Theatre Star supplied and installed White IFR curtains across both curved and straight sections of the exhibition space, suspended on Theatre Star Mini Tracking.

Solution – Versateen IFR in white was chosen for its clean, soft character and its exceptional ability to gently absorb and reflect ambient lighting, lending a warmth and depth to the fabric that complemented the exhibition’s tone. The curtain heading was fabricated in a custom wave style, deliberately echoing the fluted profiles of the soft Roman columns – creating a unified design language across various sections of the exhibition. Theatre Star Mini Tracking was installed along both curved and straight sections of the space, allowing the drapery to flow around the full perimeter of the displays.

Outcome – The White Versateen IFR drapes provided a calm, neutral backdrop that allowed the Roman artefacts to take centre stage. The custom wave heading tied the curtains visually to the soft columns, contributing to a consistent aesthetic across the exhibition space.

Element 3: Black Masking Drapes

Proposal & Solution – To complete the design of the exhibition, Theatre Star manufactured and installed black masking drapes throughout, fabricated in our Applause IFR fabric. These drapes perform a practical function – controlling ambient light and defining the atmosphere within each section of the exhibition – while remaining fully compliant with Building Code flame retardancy requirements. The result is a focused, gallery-quality environment that draws the visitor’s attention to the Roman collection on display.

A Collaborative Project

Theatre Star would like to acknowledge and thank the Museums Victoria design team for their clear vision and collaborative approach throughout this project. Their attention to detail and openness to working through design challenges together made for a smooth and productive process from start to finish. From early concept development in our Kilsyth workroom through to final installation, it has been a pleasure to contribute to this exhibition for Melbourne audiences.

Products & Application

Cascade IFR Satin – Soft Roman columns – IFR, LED light-diffusing
Versateen IFR (White) – Backdrop curtains with custom wave heading
Theatre Star Mini Tracking – Curved & straight curtain suspension
Applause IFR (Black) – Ambient light-blocking masking drapes

Photo credits Eugene Hyland