The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), also known as the Giza Museum, is one of the most ambitious museum projects of the 21st century. Located just 2km from the Giza pyramid complex, it will become the largest archaeological museum in the world, covering an impressive 81,000sqm. Its collections will include more than 100,000 artefacts related to ancient Egypt, including a complete collection of Tutankhamun’s treasures, many of which have never before been on public display.
Architecture inspired by antiquity
The design of the building was selected in an international architectural competition, held under the auspices of UNESCO and supervised by the International Union of Architects, which attracted 1,557 entries from 82 countries. The final winner was the Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects, and a joint venture between the Belgian group BESIX and the Egyptian firm Orascom Construction is responsible for the construction. The powerful edifice with its distinctive shape blends harmoniously into its surroundings, and its translucent alabaster façade gives it a monumental yet modern appearance. The spatial layout of the museum was designed so that the north and south walls follow the axes of the Chufu and Menkaure pyramids.
Grand Egyptian Museum – construction and opening delays
The Great Egyptian Museum was originally scheduled to open in 2012. Numerous delays meant that the full opening will not take place until 3 July 2025. As of 16 October 2024, parts of the museum are now open to the public – including the Great Hall, the Grand Staircase, the 12 exhibition galleries and the outdoor gardens – but special exhibitions such as the gallery dedicated to Tutankhamun and the Solar Boat Museum will still have to wait.
The world’s largest archaeological museum as a cultural and educational centre
The GEM is not just about exhibitions. The museum will act as an international centre for communication between museums. It will include a children’s museum, conference rooms, a 3D cinema and modern educational spaces. An important aspect of the project is also the use of the latest technologies, such as virtual reality, to bring the history of ancient Egypt to life in an innovative way.
The Great Egyptian Museum – construction challenges
The construction of the GEM was an extremely complex engineering undertaking. A particularly challenging element was the creation of the 33,000sq m white concrete roof, consisting of cascading panels in unique shapes. The project also used specially designed concrete of exceptional strength, which had to meet both functional and aesthetic requirements.
A new era for Egyptology
The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum is a landmark moment in world archaeology. The facility has the potential to become not only a major tourist attraction in Egypt, but also a centre for research and education about one of the world’s oldest civilisations. The estimated cost of building and establishing the museum is US$1 billion.
Source: besix.com
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