Underwater museum for Egypt / Jacques Rougerie
Architect Jacques Rougerie -an expert when it comes to space and underwater structures- has designed the soon-to-be first underwater museum. It will be located off the coast of Egypt, near the new Library of Alexandria, where Cleopatra once had a palace on an island in one of the largest human-made bays in the world back in the day, submerged by earthquakes in the 4th century.
The ruins were discovered years ago, and include several sphinxes, statues, roman and greek shipwrecks and pieces believed to be from the Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse (one of the seven ancient wonders of the world).
This ruins haven’t been moved, since it would be a tremendous effort that could damage the ruins in the process. Also, it follows the 2001 UNESCO convention for the preservation of underwater heritage.
With that in mind, the museum is designed as both inland and submarine. The building will have four tall structures shaped like the sails of fellucas, the traditional sailboats used in the Nile. From the inland building, underwater fiberglass tunnels will take visitors to structures where they can view antiquities still lying on the seabed.
Sounds like a big challenge, but since the bay is only about 16 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) deep, the museum will not face strong water pressure on its walls, something that makes this idea more feasible. And with construction expected to take only three years, we could have this new concept of building ready pretty soon. But first, they need to secure funding.
Seen at National Geographic.
Actual ruins on the seabed:
Wow great, i shouuld visit it.
Cheers
I’m an architecture student. I’ve taken underwater civilization museum as my thesis.If anybody knows more about this museum in Egypt, please let me know. any links to this kind of museums will be of great help.
hey, i too am planning to take up smthng underwater for my thesis.. if u find smthng, do let me knw.. my id is asb110@gmail.com.. thanks..
this is a real good one.
i don’t like the four tall structures , he said they are like sails of feloukas of the nile river, but the museum is in alexandria on the mediterenean sea and not on the nile !!!
didn’t he recongnise that alexandria have an identity of sailing boats that has never used sails of feloukas !!
i like the museum at all excwpt the four sails
hi
please send detail Underwater museum
tanks
wht is structural detail of this museum?what kind of material used for this?
Great, never knew about this. I must be under a rock, keep up the great work