Grand Egyptian Museum
Masterplanning - Content & Interpretation - Exhibition Design
Strategic Operational, Functional & Business Planning
Client: Grand Egyptian Museum
Location: Giza Plateau, Egypt
Size: 54,000sqm (17,000sqm - Permanent galleries developed and designed by Cultural Innovations)
Completed: 2020
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is both a world heritage asset and a national symbol of 21st-century Egypt.
Cultural Innovations’ first engagement with the project was between 2004 and 2007. In joint venture with Metaphor, we provided all museological advisory services for the development of the exhibition masterplan for the 56,000 square metres of exhibition space to house 100,000 ancient Egyptian artefacts including the entire Tutankhamun collection. Services included preliminary operational and business planning assessments to support the client team.
We were additionally appointed in 2016 as technical adviser on behalf of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support the GEM Authority, for capacity development and to advise on operational and governance decision making.
Our final engagement commenced in 2018; Cultural Innovations were appointed to provide the content development, interpretive planning and exhibition design of all the Main Galleries in collaboration with Haley Sharpe Design. This globally anticipated museum opening is planned for 2025.
Content & Interpretation:
Cultural Innovations lead the content development and interpretive planning for the permanent Main Galleries of the museum which tell the 3000-year story of ancient Egypt from the predynastic period through the Old, Middle and New Kingdom periods to the end of Ptolemaic dynasty in 30BCE.
Our team of interpretive planners closely collaborated with the GEM curatorial team and archaeological experts to develop narrative storylines and determine final objects for display from the impressive and unrivalled collection.
Exhibition Design:
Cultural Innovations were responsible for the 3D and graphic design for six of the twelve Main Galleries. Comprised of a variety of exhibition spaces, our team developed the design of the Old and Middle Kingdom galleries where breath taking objects are on display and visitors discover the beginnings of Ancient Egyptian Civilisation. The Old Kingdom gallery includes views to the Pyramids, bringing the largest artefacts ‘into the gallery’.
Interspersed between the galleries are ‘Digital Streams’, developed to juxtapose the gallery experience, these streams provide moments of immersive media interventions. More intimate spaces of underground ‘Caves’ were designed to display sensitive stories. The caves provide a change of pace and character to the overall visitor experience.
Our team of designers worked closely with a variety of specialists, from our own interpretive planners, along with the curators and archaeological experts, to lighting designers, audio-visual designers, cost consultants and architectural and fabrication contractors to develop the design for this unique archaeological museum.
Strategy, Operations & Business Planning
As technical adviser to JICA to support the GEM Authority, Cultural Innovations helped inform decisions on governance and organizational structure; institutional policies, plans and procedures; capacity development and mentoring; financial business planning together with reviewing and evaluating the procurement of the GEM’s facilities and management operator.
The bilateral relationship between Egypt and Japan is traced back to the 19th century, when the Japanese mission visited Egypt. Since then, there has been an enduring good and strong relationship between Egypt and Japan in a variety of fields including politics, economics and culture. In addition to supporting construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum, JICA is also providing technical cooperation in relation to management of the museum, exhibition and the conservation and restoration of cultural properties as well as excavation of the second solar boat.
Lighting Design: Abernathy Lighting Design
Graphic Design: Cultural Innovations and ACME Studios
AV hardware consultants: Sysco Productions
Cost consultants: Greenway Associates