2026 Enlighten Festival

When the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) began planning its contribution to the 2026 Enlighten Festival, the team sought a more sustainable approach to temporary exhibition infrastructure.

House of Cardboard was engaged to design and manufacture a range of custom cardboard furniture and display elements that could reduce material waste while delivering a functional and engaging visitor experience.

Photo Credits: Images courtesy of the Museum of Australian Democracy.

The installation required a collection of temporary exhibition elements that would be visually appealing, easy to transport and install, and aligned with the project’s sustainability goals.

The scope included:

• Custom pillar wraps for heritage columns within Kings Hall
• Cube-style display shelving
• Standing-height interactive work tables
• Office-style shelving to support a workplace-themed exhibition environment

The solution needed to perform throughout the event while remaining lightweight, reusable, and fully recyclable at the end of its life.

Working from concept drawings and exhibition requirements supplied by the client, House of Cardboard developed a suite of custom-designed cardboard structures tailored specifically to the space.

Using engineered honeycomb cardboard construction, we created:

• Custom pillar wraps designed to fit around existing heritage columns without permanent modification
• Modular display shelving that combined practical storage with strong visual presentation
• Standing-height activity tables for visitor engagement
• Lightweight components that could be transported, assembled, disassembled, and stored with minimal effort

Each piece was designed to balance functionality, durability, and sustainability while complementing the overall exhibition design.

For temporary exhibitions and events, cardboard provides a practical alternative to traditional materials.

Key Benefits:

• Lightweight construction for easier transport and handling
• Tool-free assembly
• Reusable and easy to store
• Fully recyclable at end of life
• Customisable shapes and configurations
• Strong enough for public-facing display environments
• Reduced environmental impact compared with many conventional temporary exhibition materials

• Sustainable alternative to traditional exhibition infrastructure
• Lightweight and easy-to-install display solutions
• Custom-built designs tailored to the exhibition environment
• Reusable components suitable for future events
• Strong visual impact while supporting the festival’s sustainability objectives

Client: Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD)
Location: Old Parliament House, Canberra ACT
Event: Enlighten Festival 2026
Scope: Custom cardboard furniture and exhibition displays
Applications: Pillar wraps, shelving, standing workstations, exhibition fit-out elements

Whether you’re planning an exhibition, product launch or branded activation, we’d love to help bring your ideas to life.