“We were just two people when we entered this competition” – the architect behind the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum shares the journey
The much delayed, billion dollar Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, celebrates its full public opening today (4 November), following a lavish opening gala on 1 November.
Designed by Heneghan Peng Architects, the museum is set across a 500,000sq m site, and houses more than 100,000 pharaonic antiquities – many of which have never been displayed in public before. It covers 5,000 years of Egyptian history, from pre-dynastic times to the Greco-Roman era.
The huge museum features two galleries dedicated to King Tutankhamun, with more than 5,000 objects from the young king’s tomb together for the first time since its discovery in 1922. Other highlights include a colossal 3,200-year-old statue of Ramesses II, the16m-tall Hanging Obelisk of Ramesses II and the 4,600-year-old Khufu funerary boat.
A grand, six storey staircase leads visitors to the different galleries, with the permanent exhibitions at the top of the building. The museum has been designed to provide a dramatic, framed view of the Giza pyramids from the large window at the top of the staircase.
Speaking exclusively to CLADmag, Heneghan Peng Architects co-founder Róisín Heneghan said: “The idea is that you have an overview of the history of Pharaonic Egypt as you ascend the staircase, which culminates in the view to the pyramids. It provides a moment for reflection and contemplation, giving you space to process the incredible breadth of ancient Egypt’s history, and also makes it feel as though the pyramids are a part of the museum.”
The museum was designed to be aligned with the Giza pyramids through a visual axis, fan-shaped walls, and triangular elements that create a dialogue between the ancient and modern structures.“Our design works in dialogue with the scale and mathematical precision of the pyramids, creating a connection that aims to complement rather than compete with their stature,” said Heneghan.
Speaking about the impact winning the competition to design the Grand Egyptian Museum had on Heneghan Peng, Heneghan told CLADmag: “We were just two people when we entered this competition, Shih-Fu and I.
"To go from being a three-person operation to winning the largest architectural competition for a built project in the world was a whirlwind - it elevated us to a global level, so it will always be such an important part of our history as a firm. It was also such a unique project, a museum of this scale in such close proximity to such a significant historic site like the pyramids. It was a once-in-a-lifetime project and we feel incredibly lucky to have helped bring it to life.”
"Designing a museum of this calibre, in such close proximity to a landmark as monumental and symbolic as the pyramids, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Our design works to strengthen that connection to history and place, providing a home for some never-before-seen artifacts that rests upon the very land from which they were created. The result is an experience that evokes a sense of awe at the breadth and depth of ancient Egypt’s fascinating history in a way that feels both modern and timeless."
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