Display Cases in the Grand Egyptian Museum | Goppion

Display cases from Goppion were installed in the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The large museum consists of a billion-dollar complex, situated on the Giza Plateau and occupies approximately 500,000 square meters. Containing 3,500 years of ancient Egyptian history in a collection of more than 100,000 artifacts it boasts Egypt's largest museum and one of the world's leading scientific, historical, and archaeological study centers. Goppion was selected in 2017 through an international competition to design, manufacture, and install 122 display cases for the museum's artifacts. The work was divided into two phases due to its large scale.

Phase One

The first phase was completed in 2021, it required 50 customized conservation-grade museum display cases. These cases were installed to display in the Tutankhamun Gallery, which hosts a collection of around 5,000 artifacts that belonged to the pharaoh. The gallery acts as a landmark for the world-famous pharaoh as it is the first time the Tutankhamun Collection has been publically displayed in its entirety.

• Display Solutions
  
  One of the artifacts, found in the inner part of the tomb was a fan belonging to Tutankhamun. The fan is made from ostrich feathers and an ivory handle, decorated with gold and lapis lazuli. The well-preserved object required some of the strictest conservation requirements, as with many other pieces throughout the museum. Other pieces include fragile textiles, metals, wood, and other organic materials. Solutions from Goppion include features such as airtight 0.1 AER, passive and active climate control (managing relative humidity, temperature, and nitrogen levels), dedicated LED adjustable lighting, and personalized interiors.
  
  Five gold chariots belonging to Tutankhamun are included among the numerous star attractions in the gallery. Displaying these required a huge showcase – 12m x 5m x 3m in height. Designing such large cases come with many structural challenges. Goppion's extensive experience in working with large objects and engineering capabilities made finding the optimum solution seamless.

Phase Two

The second phase required Goppion to produce a further 72 customized and modular conservation-grade museum display cases of various dimensions. The entire design process was performed by Goppion, including engineering, prototyping, production, and installation. Additionally, in cooperation with the GEM team, technical solutions were implemented to enhance both the legibility and sustainability of the showcases.

• Display Solutions
  
  A centralized, remote-controlled climate-control system was developed, with diffusion of treated air through significant distances and differentiated RH levels in various showcases. Similar construction systems were employed, incorporating both aesthetic and functional qualities, including magnetic concealed gaskets, security concealed locks, 0.1 airtightness, glass joints, and appropriate opening systems that were combined with a wide variety of showcases interiors. Plinths, panels, shelving, back panels, and partitions were all factors in creating the final displays.
  
  A particular challenge for the phase 2 project was creating a large showcase to host a mural from the tomb of the founding Fourth Dynasty pharaoh, Sneferu. The mural is one of the oldest items in the GEM collection, dating back to the Old Kingdom, around 2700–2200 BCE. It spans 13 mud-plaster blocks, all unified by a horizontal colored band that runs across the lower part of each relief. Ensuring the mounted reliefs all lined up seamlessly for display required a high skill level, it was also essential to ensure the fragile artifact was fully protected both during and after the installation process.

The Grand Egyptian Museum unveiled some of its public spaces at pre-opening events in November 2022, with further developments still to come.

Project Details