The care and preservation of art and cultural assets is an important concern of the Vitra Design Museum. From everyday consumer items to craft pieces up to unique works of art and design objects, these collector's items provide evidence of the time they were created and give information about the period when they were used. Preserving these things is the task the conservators at the Vitra Design Museum have set out for themselves.

The goal of conservation is always determined by the condition of the respective object. "Conservation is a means of re-establishing the readability of art and cultural property. In so doing, it may become necessary to add a limited amount of supplementary material. The conservator should only use techniques with minimal impact on the art and cultural property and materials that can be removed fully and as easily as possible without harming the original. These measures must not be carried out with intent to defraud." Code of Ethics for Conservators 1989.

In addition to the actual treatments carried out on the object itself, a further central aspect of conservation is constituted by preventive measures such as climate control and the organisation of exhibition installation and dismantling to prevent further damage or advancing deterioration of the objects.

Each material, whether it be wood, metal, glass or plastic - in and of itself or used in combination in a particular object - requires a special preliminary examination of the condition of the material and an appropriate subsequent conservation treatment. These are the challenges taken up by the conservators at the Vitra Design Museum.